Phil Cummings (text), Shane Devries (illus.), Ride, Ricardo, Ride!, Omnibus/Scholastic, 1 March 2015, $24.99 (hbk), 32pp., ISBN 9781742990736 Ride, Ricardo, Ride! is set in a European village during war time. Ricardo is the hero of the story and the heart of the narrative explores the impact war has on his hometown and family. Ricardo is first introduced to the reader riding around his village on his bike, free to do all of the things children love doing, without any concerns or worries. Ricardo’s world is safe and he receives encouragement and protection from his Father. The situation changes as the soldiers…
Author: Admin
Erhard Dietl, The Ogglies go to School, Starfish Bay Publishing, April 2015, 28pp., $14.99 (hbk) ISBN 9780994100719 The German originated Ogglies are green creatures that live on a rubbish dump, love all things smelly and eat rusty tin cans as snacks. Translated here for the Australian market, this picture book describes their children starting school. Mum is too busy so grandma gives them a lift on Firebottom, the family dragon. They arrive just as the teacher finds out she needs to dash home and grandma takes over the lessons. Being an Oggly, she has them weight lifting and jumping in…
Janeen Brian (text), Ann James (illus.), I’m a Hungry Dinosaur, Penguin, 22 April 2015, 24pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780670078103 I’ve never grown out of the simple pleasures of an afternoon making cakes and here are some characters who agree. Janeen Brian and Ann James’ award-winning dinosaur (and bird) are back for more creative adventures, this time in the kitchen. With quick paced text that puts one in mind of the nursery rhyme ‘Pat a cake, pat a cake’ this storybook puts the fun back into baking. It doesn’t matter how messy and chaotic the kitchen becomes, the reader is reassured by…
Elizabeth Honey, Hop Up! Wriggle Over! Allen & Unwin, May 2015, 40pp., $19.99 (hbk) ISBN 9781743319987 A lovely new picture book from award winning author/illustrator Elizabeth Honey about a day in the life of a unique Australian (animal) family. It isn’t often you see traditional line and wash used so confidently nor a picture book where illustrations truly lead the storyline. Text is reduced to single exclamations and action phrases that give you space to interpret and imagine the mischievous young characters’ conversations as they bump and giggle their way through the day. Beautifully executed loose watercolour describes texture, colour and…
Tracy Alexander, Hacked. Scholastic, 1 April 2015. 288pp. $16.99 (pbk) ISBN 978 176015 2895 Hacked is a really griping and topical novel, one in which you become really involved with the main character, Dan. He’s an exceptionally gifted boy, who is misdiagnosed as ADHD and put on medication for some years. His grandmother, however, sums it up by saying there’s nothing wrong with him, he’s simply too clever for his own good. Dan is obsessed with computers and is a real ‘cyber-geek’. He finds hacking really easy and starts by adding some online credit to his girlfriend’s mobile phone. Things develop…
David Levithan, Hold Me Closer: the Tiny Cooper story, Text, 18 March 2015, 200 pp, $19.99 (pbk) ISBN 9781922 182722 Tiny Cooper is the recipient of one of those rather ironic nicknames because, by his own admission, Tiny is big! This is his life, told in the style of a musical comedy, from his birth to when he is sixteen. Not only is Tiny big, he is also gay. He is on the school football team and is subjected to bullying and discrimination. He has had a range of boyfriends none of whom has lasted long and he really wants…
Katrina Roe (text) Leigh Hedstrom (illus.) Emily Eases her Wheezes! Wombat Books, 31 December 2014, unpaged, $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925139129 Emily Eases her Wheezes! is a vibrant picture book exploring the impact and effect of asthma. The book cleverly taps into this topical subject building awareness and promoting discussion around this common chronic disease. Emily the Elephant is a character first introduced to readers by the same creators in Marty’s Nut-Free Party. In Roe’s new story Emily is the central character and suffers from asthma. Emily is a likeable heroine, she is full of energy and the reader is sympathetic as her illness prevents her…
Neridah McMullin (text), Ainsley Walters (illus.) Knockabout Cricket; a story of sporting legend Johnny Mullagh One Day Hill, 1 February 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk) ISBN 9780992439736 Knockabout Cricket is a story about Aboriginal sports hero Johnny Mullagh. Set in 1860 this picture book is an exploration of Australian culture at that time and looks at the relationship between Aboriginals and Westerners as well as the impact of sport and how it helped shape Australia’s national identity. Johnny Mullagh was one of Australia’s first international cricket stars and his skill with the bat and the ball made him a legend in the cricket world. This…
WA based Eve Pownall Award Judge, Helen Adam, gave Reading Time the lowdown on the Eve Pownall Award. Who was Eve Pownall? Why is there an award named after her? What treasures have the Eve Pownall Judges unearthed so far in 2015? Is the Information Book dead? Helen answers all these questions and more… The Eve Pownall Award for Information Books has been a part of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards since 1993. This is a very important category and an interesting one to judge. The 2015 awards have seen a wide range of interesting books in this category. …
Darrell Pitt, The Monster Within (Jack Mason Adventures #4), Text Publishing, 22 April 2015, 254pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922182876 Sailing over cities and seas in an airship called the Lion’s Mane, avoiding bombs by a hair’s breadth, climbing church spires as they are collapsing, Scarlet and Jack seek out the horrid perpetrators of crime, in this fourth title in the Jack Mason Adventure series. Jack and Scarlet are assistants to Mr Doyle, a steampunk Sherlock, and have participated in his cases since book number one in the series, The Firebird Mystery. There are many almost fatal adventures and a plethora…