CBCA treasures from the past

I mentioned in a previous post that I planned to talk about some CBCA winners and Honour books from past years. I have gathered a few special titles.

A pet for Mrs Arbuckle by Gwenda Smyth illustrated by Ann James (Shortlisted 1982)

"Mrs Emmeline Arbuckle needed a pet. ... 'Well of course,' said the gingernut cat. 'You must advertise."  WANTED - A PET FOR A SWEET OLD LADY. VERY GOOD HOME.
Mrs Arbuckle receives seven letters and sets off around the world to interview the applicants. The gingernut cat goes along too, in case she needs a second opinion.  It is these 'opinions' that add delicious touches of humour to the story. Here are some examples.  The armadillo - do you want a ball or a pet? The llama (and her family) - a pet is a pet, and a herd is a herd. Aardvark - Are you going to spend your days finding ants to feed an aardvark? A bear - Take it from me - bear hugs can be very nasty in hot weather.

So what are the qualities of the perfect pet? "A pet should go on and on, day after day. A pet should have regular meals and sleep in the same old corner night after night. A pet should be something you can stroke."  Of course this perfect pet has been with Mrs Arbuckle all along. It is all very satisfying for the book characters and the reader.  Perhaps one day someone will republish this wonderful story which also contains vibrant illustrations by Ann James depicting a range of world settings and emotions. If you have a copy at home or in your library hold it close.  I always include this book in my library program and it is a winner every time.  There are so many little details to discover and discuss. We usually begin by talking about Mrs Arbuckle's husband who she fondly calls Mr A. You could follow or compare this book with A Pet for Miss Wright and Wanted: The Perfect pet.

Arthur by Amanda Graham illustrated by Donna Gynell (Shortlisted 1985)

Arthur is a wonderful book to read aloud with the repeated refrain "nobody wanted an ordinary brown dog ... " Arthur lives in Mrs Humber's pet shop. The shop is filled with all sorts of pets - rabbits, snakes, goldfish, cats, mice, three canaries, a blue budgerigar, a green frog, one sleepy lizard and Arthur! Arthur is desperate to find a home with a pair of old slippers to chew so when he sees people buying the other pets he decides to try being a snake or a fish or a snake with hilarious outcomes. If you need a book that shows the power of story and illustrations working together Arthur is an ideal book. Sadly this is another title that is out of print but many school libraries will have a copy. In our library we also have the big book edition and I have found an itunes version too. There are two sequels to Arthur - Educating Arthur and Always Arthur. Reading all three books in order can be a good way to introduce the idea of a trilogy to younger readers.

Mr Nick's Knitting by Margaret Wild illustrated by Dee Huxley (Shortlisted 1989)

Mr Nick's knitting is a poignant story about the power of kindness and understanding.  Mr Nick and Mrs Jolly catch a train each day and while they are sitting in the train for forty-five minutes all the way to the city they both knit. Mrs Jolley makes toy animals and Mr Nick knits jumpers for his big extended family.  From the train window they look out at the view of houses and gardens and boats on the harbour. One Monday, though, Mrs Jolley is not on the train. By Thursday Mr Nick hears the news. Mrs Jolley is in hospital. Mr Nick buys some wool and a GET WELL SOON card and sets off to the hospital. Mrs Jolley is lying in a stark hospital bed. Everything is white and there is nothing to look at. Mr Nick goes home and thinks of a wonderful way to cheer his friend.

One of the special aspects of this book is the way the illustrations are framed. The scenes inside the train have formal frames. The hospital page is framed with small tiles in grey and blue but when Mr Nick arrives with his special gift these same tiles change to happy shades of pink. The double page where Mr Nick is seen to be knitting up a storm day and night has no framing which matches the frenzy of his task snatching every moment to complete this project.

Margaret Wild has so many special titles (she has written over 70 books) which you should explore. Put this one near the top of your list. If you are a knitter my friend at Kinderbookboard has a splendid collection of "Yarn Yarns". One aspect of Margaret Wild's work that I really appreciate is the way she and her publishers select different illustrators for each of her books. Some of the names will be familiar to you - Julie Vivas, Ron Brooks, Ann James, Kim Gamble, Freya Blackwood, Stephen Michael King, Noela Young and Kerry Argent.

Scallywag by Jeannette Rowe (Shortlisted 1991)

Are you noticing a theme here in this post of pet stories?  Other shortlisted titles from the Picture Book of the Year section which feature pets are First there was Frances by Bob Graham, My cat Maisie by Pamela Allen, Dog tales by Janet and Andrew McLean, Josh by Janet and Andrew McLean, Buffy : An adventure story by Bob Graham, Reggie Queen of the Street by Margaret Barbalet and Mutt Dog by Stephen Michael King.

Scallywag is the perfect name for this cheeky cat. He lives part of each day with a different family, he enjoys different foods and answers to different names. His life is brilliant.  As Orlando he enjoys salami and cheese. As Darryl he sits with his friend Winsome who loves to cook. Bert loves to spoil Tubby with breakfast each morning and Sylvia and the children share lunch with Brutus. Then one day their cat disappears. Everyone comes together calling all those names not realising they all love the same cat. When Orlando/Darryl/Tubby/Brutus shows up everyone can see what has been happening.  It is clearly time to put this cat on a diet. This might be a good plan for those humans but Scallywag has other ideas.  I would follow Scallywag with Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore. Jeannette Rowe has an impressive collection of titles for the youngest children.

Henry and Amy (right way-round and upside down) by Stephen Michael King (Shortlisted 1999)

This very special book is a celebration of friendship and of difference. It is also about creative thinking and acceptance of difference and all of these themes are contained in a simply joyous story of two kids who love to play in the rain, fly paper aeroplanes and build spectacular treehouses. Two kids with different views of the world, different life experiences who become true friends.

When you pick up this book flip from the front to the back. Rightway round and back to front. Notice the teapot, birds and dog on the cover.  You will see this dog again in Mutt Dog (2004). Stephen Michael King also loves to pop in a teapot or two. I think there are teapots in nearly all of his books. I have been in love with Stephen's books ever since I picked up his first one - The Man who Loved Boxes.

"Every time Henry tried to draw a straight line it turned out wiggly."  Why?  Is he too creative, or is he too unsteady with his brush, or is he simply a unique kid who does not want to conform? "Amy could do everything right."  BUT "Deep down, Amy wished everything she did wasn't so perfect." Amy can show Henry how to do things, and Henry can show Amy there are other ways that work too.

This is another book where you need to take time to look at the framing. There are whole page illustrations filled with grass and sunlight which contrast with the page where Amy is feeling sad - a tiny girl with downcast eyes centred on a huge white page. I loved reading the Publisher's Weekly discussion where the reviewer compared Stephen Michael King's figures with one of my favourite illustrators Joan Walsh Anglund.

Image source https://www.stephenmichaelking.com/

I would pair Henry and Amy with The Pros and Cons of being a Frog by Sue deGennaro, A friend like Ed and Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey.