Rules of Summer By Shaun Tan, Lothian Children’s Books, 2000. ‘Never be late for a parade. Never forget the password. Never ruin a perfect plan.’ Um…not sure Shaun Tan… Your illustrations are beautiful as always, but on the first read, I didn’t understand the story. So, I thought I’d run this past a child and get a young person’s view of it. My 12-year-old niece wasn’t too sure about it either. Rules of Summer is not a book I’d personally choose in a hurry. I read somewhere that this is a story of two boys and their adventures, but I didn’t get that from the story on the first read at all. So, I read it again. On my second read of the book I saw the two boys in each picture, but the story? I think the boys have adventures and then they have a fight of some sort, before making up. Rules of Summer offers the reader a long list of rules; things you must never do. Could appeal to children, possibly boys more than girls.

Marlo Can Fly By Robert Vescio and Sandra Temple, Wombat Books, 2013. Everyone expects Marlo to fly, but she would rather slither like a snake, hop like a kangaroo and swim like a crocodile. But when someone needs her help, can she still rise to the challenge? I don’t know about you, but I love a magpie…and what a delightful little magpie story this is. Marlo Can Fly is about Marlo Magpie, a little bird who just wanted to be different. Marlo thinks she doesn’t need to fly like the other birds, so instead she sings through the forest. Marlo really wants to be different. Kandy the kookaburra tries to explain that Marlo is a bird, and birds fly…it’s just what they do. Marlo meets several Australian animals and reptiles in the bush and tries to mimic their movements, but fails each time. Then she meets Kev the baby koala who has lost his mother and really needs Marlo’s help. How does Marlo help little Kev? Read Marlo Can Fly and find out! This story encourages kids to explore and discover themselves to find out who they really are and where they fit in this world.

Today We Have No Plans By Jane Godwin and Anna Walker, Penguin Viking, 2012. ‘A busy week, a slower day Brings time to dream and time to play.’ Wow! This book reminded me of a day in the life of my niece, my friends’ kids, my cousins’ kids, basically all kids today! Children these days are so busy with their extracurricular activities, that rest days are gold. Today We Have No Plans is like reading a child’s Google Calendar! As the week progresses, the kids get rattier, the mum gets crankier, and everyone is ready for a rest. ‘On Mondays as the sun comes up My clock gives me a fright…’ But then… …on Sunday morning, a little girl opens her curtains and looks at a solitary tree in her garden. There is a sense of calm when we reach this page. The ‘clocks seem to slow their hands’, and all the family sit around in their pjs, play games and relax. They’re not going out today! While kids love all of their extracurricular activities, they also enjoy their downtime. Sunday offers us the time to slow down and notice the little things, like glue and felt, and plants and…

Marngrook The long-ago story of Aussie Rules By Titta Secombe and Grace Fielding, Magabala Books, 2012. ‘A wonderful kids’ story that shares the origins of our national game.’ The beginnings of how Aussie Rules football was invented is sometimes a controversial topic. Marngrook is a ball game that was played by first Australians in north-west Victoria over 150 years ago. This kids picture book is set in the traditional country of the Djab-Wurrung and Jardwadjali clans in the foothills of Duwul, the highest mountain in the Grampians. The opening pages give some factual content about the people and the region, as well as translations for some Jardwadjali language words. The main character, Jaara, a young Djab-Wurrung and Jardwadjali boy, is given a new toy from his father, Wawi. It is made from the skin of a banya, or ringtail possum. I found Marngrook a little bit gruesome, as the Elder grabs an innocent animal to kill and eat and make a ball from its skin. The story goes into the details of how the pieces of the animal are preserved to assist in the making of the marngrook ball. It is, however, educational, and would possibly appeal to young boys who…

All Through the Year By Jane Godwin and Anna Walker, Penguin Viking, 2010. ‘Open this book and travel your way all through the year and treasure each day.’ From this well-known author/illustrator duo comes All Through the Year. Reading like a collection of Shakespearean sonnets, All Through the Year invites the reader to share in this rhyming journey through the seasons and activities of a year in the life of an everyday Australian family. The different style Jane Godwin has used in this kids book is also great for teaching children about different styles of writing. I don’t think I’ve seen any other children’s book author us the same format, it’s quite unique to this author (she also applied the same format in Today We Have No Plans). This is a great book to teach children about the months of the year, the seasons that accompany those months, and the different holidays or events that also coincide. All Through the Year is another fine work of art by Anna Walker, beautifully illustrated, and if I am not mistaken, we are seeing the same family that met in Today We Have No Plans! We are certainly seeing the same tree in the…

Magpie By Luke Davies and Inari Kiuru, ABC Books, 2010. A father and son embark on an epic journey, an intrepid adventure. Magpie attacks are a strong reality in Australia during the springtime. This story is based on a mostly true story of the author’s experience of being swooped by a magpie as a youth. Yes, another story about swooping magpies! In this adaptation, we follow the main character and his father (both dogs) down ‘Minnamurra Avenue. The bush. The creek. Looking for Magpie. It depicts a lovely relationship between a father and son, where the father will go to great lengths to show his son that he loves him and will protect him from bad things. Many pages occur without text, which allows your child to use their imagination to fill in the blanks.

Mum and Dad Glue By Kes Gray and Lee Wildish, Hodder Children’s Books, 2000. ‘A little boy searches for a pot of parent glue to stick his mum and dad’s marriage back together. But he soon realises that even though his parents may be broken, their love for him is not.’ Mum and Dad Glue is a clever rhyming story of the little boy’s journey to the realisation that, while he can’t put his parents back together, he can still be happy. In the early pages, the illustrations show cracks through everything; the car, the soccer ball, the skateboard, the house, and the brick wall. The words read, ‘Mum and dad are broken…’ The little boy engages on a mission to find a glue that he can use to fix his parents. You can feel the desperation of the child who is frantically trying to think of ways to mend his parent’s marriage. The gentle rhyme helps in softening an often difficult and painful subject for your child. A common thing that we see with children of broken marriages is that the child often blames themselves. This little boy is no different. He battles with wondering if he is the…

Hello Baby By Jenni Overend and Julie Vivas, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2008. ‘Hello baby,’ I say quietly. ‘Hello’ Delightfully drawn in a soft and scribbly fashion, Hello Baby takes us on the journey of a family and a home birth. My sister read this book to my niece for years when she was younger, and she still loves it now. She was so excited to see a copy of it on my desk, so we went and snuggled and read it together again. This is a great book for families who are expecting another child. It is sensitively written to explain to children some of the things they might expect to see and experience before, during and after the birth. In Hello Baby, the whole family is involved in the birthing process, with the other children helping as well. Originally published in 1999, this book has been reprinted many times, which just goes to show that it’s popular! Awards Shortlisted for Picture Book of the Year, Children’s Book Council of Australia, 2000.

Magpie’s Gift By Rebecca Johnson and Steve Parish, Pascal Press, 2006. Mr Magpie searches high and low for items that he can give to Mrs Magpie to help build a nest. Magpie’s Gift brings us a lovely magpie story. I really quite enjoyed this story, even though it is a bit twee, but it also quite sweet. Mr Magpie finds a piece of blue wool that he wants to give to Mrs Magpie as a gift for her nest, but a bowerbird gets to it first. A friendly numbat advises Mr Magpie that he should try asking the bowerbird for the wool, but says he should take something blue to exchange for the wool. Mr Magpie takes a blue clothes peg and manages to succeed in obtaining the blue wool for his wife. I think there is some gender confusion as sometimes on pages talking about Mrs Magpie, a male magpie is photographed. Overall a sweet story with great pictures of magpies.  

The Outback By Annaliese Porter and Bronwyn Bancroft, Magabala Books, 2005. Dark, red earth surrounding flat, stony plains — gibbers lay on scorching sand, where seldom it rains. What a lovely little book, richly illustrated in the style of traditional Australian Aboriginal paintings. The illustrations depict recognisable Australian animals, like goannas, snakes, wallabies and cockatoos, and landscapes such as the desert plains and Uluru. The Outback tells the tale of the harshness of the land, the desert, and the desert animals. This is a bush ballad about the Australian outback that was written by Annaliese Porter when she was only eight years old! She is one of Australia’s youngest published writers. What a great example of a story to read to a young writer 🙂