There’s been a few very different books reviewed since my last round up of Children’s books.
Monique reviewed Pizzica Pizzica by Hayley Egan. Told in English and Italian it is the story of dance and the way music can make you feel “alive and free”. A girl who feels heavy and empty is told that she had been bitten by a spider and the only cure is dancing. The review noted the impact of the layered meanings in the text:
. . . has the girl really been bitten by a spider (which young children would understand), is it about that feeling when music or art or something gives you a jolt, or is there a more emotional reason for her feeling of emptiness and heaviness (which an adult reader would discern)? Younger and older readers will get something different from it.
A Strong Belief in Wicker reviewed the latest book from Alison Lester, Kissed by the Moon.
Kissed by the Moon is a lullaby of sorts, wishing an active, imaginative and thoughtful life for the new baby. It encourages us to be out in nature and to treat our fellow creatures well.
Kissed by the Moon, which was on the shortlist for the Children Book of the Year awards, is described as an exceptional book, and a perfect gift for new parents and babies – with present giving season approaching it could be the perfect gift for the very small people in your life.
For slightly older readers there’s Magic Animal Friends: Poppy Muddlepup’s Daring Rescue, by Daisy Meadows which was reviewed by Lynette. This was a three in one book, which is always great when you have readers who are devouring series of books. It follows the adventures of Jess and Lily who need to hunt for magic ingredients to break a magic spell.
Written by Daisy Meadows, who wrote the Rainbow Magic series, the Magic Animal Friends stories follow the same tried and true formula combining friendship, magic, imagination and kindness. The girls need to be resourceful, creative and brave to help their friends, and of course they always succeed.
Lynette also notes that while this is recommended for 6 years and older, that it can be enjoyed by younger children.
Three Australian Women Writers have been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Ursula Dubosarsky, Libby Gleeson, and Mem Fox were among 197 nominees for the 2015 award (along with fellow Australian Morris Gleitzman). While all three authors were reviewed last year, surprisingly there are no reviews of their work amongst the 2014 books – it would be great to remedy that for the end of the year round up!
In other children’s book news, the Speech Pathology Australia 2014 Book of the Year Awards were announced yesterday. These awards celebrate Australian books which help children get the best, most literate start in life. Amongst the winners were I’m a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian and Ann James (in the Birth to 3 category) and A Swim in the Sea by Sue Whiting and Meredith Thomas (in the 3 – 5 years category) – more award winning books by Australian Women Writers to add to your to-read list!
About Me
I’ve had a strong interest in children’s fiction since Grade 1 when a fabulous teacher bribed me with Famous Five novels. I continued reading children’s and YA books long after I was supposed to ‘grow up’ – something which served me very well when I became a teacher and was known all over the school as ‘the teacher with the books’. I’m currently on maternity leave, enjoying the rich world of picture books with my toddler and sporadically blogging over at Adventures of a Subversive Reader