Wombats can't fly by Michael Dugan illustrated by Jane Burrell

Tuesday Treasure

One of my favourite books to share with young children is A house for Wombats. It is the perfect book to use when you are exploring the power of the imagination.

Wombats Can't Fly (1996) takes the power of imagination one step further. These young wombats truly believe they CAN fly and they won't let the adults and their rational arguments stop them.

Wombats can chew roots with their strong teeth.
Wombats can dig burrows with their strong claws.
Wombats can find their way through the bush on a dark moonless night.
Wombats can sleep snugly through the cold cays of winter.

The young wombats listen to these facts but all the while they are collecting parts to attach to the huge balloon they have found. Putting all the pieces together our little pair sail off up into the sky proving that wombats truly can fly!

Here is an interview with Jane Burrell by the Tasmanian Premiers Reading Challenge team.

This is the fourth book in a series about these cute wombats. My only small quibble is I wish this book had been made in the same format as the others - landscape not portrait.

Poo Bum by Stephanie Blake Translated by Linda Burgess

"Once there was a little rabbit who could only say one thing ... "

On my last visit to the Book Bunker at Westmead Children's Hospital I picked up a few funny books to share with my reading group at a local school. Sadly I can no longer go to the Bunker at this time and my visit to the school was also cancelled but I thought I would share this book with you.

I can only guess what my little group might think about this book but I think it would make them laugh after the initial shock of a teacher uttering the forbidden words - poo bum!

In every situation the little rabbit can only reply poo bum. When mum wakes him up; When dad tells him to eat his spinach; When his big sister invites him to take a bath; And when a wolf asks him:

"May I eat you, my little rabbit?"  You know the answer!

"And so the wolf ate the little rabbit."

At home the wolf himself now has a problem. He can only say the words poo bum. The wolf calls the doctor. "The very brave doctor went looking for his little rabbit."  Have you guessed the identity of the doctor - he is little rabbit's dad! The doctor rescues his son and discovers a big change in his little boy. But wait for the last page - there is a new, also shocking, word coming!

Poo Bum is published by the wonderful Gecko Press. They specialise in bringing us books from other countries. Poo Bum was originally published in French under the title "Caca boudin."  Listen to the French version here - it has brilliant sound effects. 

 It will please children, both its use of rude words and its sly endorsement of children’s resistance to and manipulation of adults. Books for Keeps

Poo Bum is outstanding. It’s wicked and naughty and just far enough past that edge of inappropriate to feel naughty, but not to far so that people get alienated. Did you ever stop to think (Blog)

Stephanie Blake has a whole series of funny books about the little rabbit. These are well worth hunting out so you can enjoy a laugh with your children during this difficult time.

CBCA Short List announced tomorrow!

I am sure to be wrong but once again I am going to try to predict the CBCA short list for 2020. There are five categories - Picture Book, Early Childhood Picture Book, Younger Readers, Older Readers and the Eve Pownall Award for Non Fiction. I will focus on Picture Book, Early Childhood and Younger Readers.

In several previous posts I attempted to predict the Notable titles. In each category twenty titles were listed last month. Tomorrow (31st March, 2020) the CBCA will announce the six titles in each category for the short list and then in August the winners will be announced.

The category that I had the most difficulty with for 2020 was Younger Readers. There are three other titles I could add here but I am only allowed to predict six.  I wish I could also add A Great Escape; Catch a Falling Star; and As Happy as Here by Jane Godwin.

Here are my short list predictions or this might better be called my hope list:

Younger Readers

Detention by Tristan Bancks
The Little Wave by Pip Harry
A Different Land by Paul Jennings
The Dog runner by Bren MacDibble
Sick Bay by Nova Weetman
The Secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt

Picture Book of the Year

Ella and the Ocean by Lian Tanner illustrated by Jonathan Bentley
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Three by Stephen Michael King
Baby Business by Jasmine Seymour
Mallee Sky by Jodi Toering illustrated by Tanya Harricks
One Tree by Christopher Cheng illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Early Childhood Picture Book

Little Puggle's Song by Vikki Conley illustrated by Helene Magisson
We're Stuck by Sue deGennaro
Ivanhoe Swift left home at Six by Jane Godwin illustrated by A Yi
I see, I see by Robert Henderson
Little Bird's Day by Sally Morgan illustrated by Johnny Warrkatja
Goodbye House, Hello House by Margaret Wild illustrated by Ann James

Running Girl by Simon Mason

I discovered this series - Garvie Smith Mysteries -  when I read Hey, Sherlock!  Running Girl is the first book in this exciting trilogy.

Look at the front cover. The mystery clues are all there.

Dead body - A young girl, Chloe Dow,  is found murdered. She is an ex-girlfriend of Garvie Smith.

Shoes - She is wearing very distinctive coloured shoes. Garvie Smith, the young detective, seems to be the only person who questions why Chloe Dow would wear shoes like this. Chloe was known for her sense of fashion and these shoes, which are lime green and orange, do not match her running outfit or her sense of personal style.

Button - where did this come from? Detective Singh finds Chloe's former boyfriend. Alex, is missing a button on his jacket. A button was found in Chloe's garden on the night the body was found but Garvie knows the button did not come from Alex's jacket.

Porsche - Chloe's step dad reports seeing a black Porsche and this lead takes Garvie to the casino. It seems Chloe has been going there too and she seems to have made some dangerous friends but no one wants to talk to Garvie. The young girls who work at the Casino are fearful of their violent boss.

Suspects - creepy school caretaker with a mysterious possibly criminal background; Alex, Chloe's drug dealer and dysfunctional former boyfriend; teacher Mr MacArthur.

So who is Garvie Smith? He is a sixteen year old high school kid. He is a genius but school is the wrong fit for him. He spend more time out of school than actually in a classroom. His mother is beyond exasperated with him. She is threatening to take him back to Barbados.

If you enjoy television crime stories, especially ones with twists that you absolutely do not anticipate then this is the right book for you. Close to the end when you think this murder is solved and that you (as co-detective) had picked the right guy you'll discover everyone has the wrong guy wrong. Garvie has slowly been piecing this puzzle into a form that makes sense. I gasped when he revealed the truth.

Last week I picked up a copy of Running Girl by Simon Mason. I read a few pages while waiting for a friend in the middle of the day then later that night I began to read in earnest. At 1.40am I lifted my head - yes this book is THAT good! This book is for a Young Adult audience because there are references to smoking and drug use. I highly recommend this book for readers 14+.

Click each of these review quotes to read more plot details:

The Book Bag:  The whodunnit plot is incredibly intricate and beautifully worked out with clues and the application of logic. It's full of twists and turns and it is truly gripping.

Teen Reads: With all the right red herrings and colorful characters to rival Dashiell Hammett, Simon Mason’s YA murder thriller RUNNING GIRL is sure to hook and reel in even the less than interested. It moves too fast to let go of anyone’s attention and the pay off at the end is so insanely satisfying.

Carmela full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena illustrated by Christian Robinson

It is Carmela's Birthday. She could wish on her Birthday candles at the breakfast celebration with her mum and brother but she doesn't need to do this because her wish is coming true today anyway. She is now old enough to head off with her older brother into the town to shop and visit the laundromat. Carmela is so excited. She jingles her birthday bracelets and tries to get her brother to talk but he is not happy to have his little sister tagging along today. In the concrete outside the laundromat Carmela finds a dandelion. She starts to blow it but her brother interrupts her:

"You're supposed to make a wish. Everyone knows that."

Carmela didn't know about this. What should she wish for? Candy would be good. Her mum should be allowed to rest in one of the fancy beds at the hotel where she works. It would be so wonderful if her dad could come home. Go back now and look at the end papers where you can see migrant workers. This is where her dad is working away from the family.  Matt and Christian explain this here.

Carmela holds onto her wish flower all morning but on the way home she crashes her scooter and the dandelion is crushed. Her brother takes her hand and leads her back past all the shops to the cliff over looking the sea. He tells her to close her eyes and make a wish. When she opens them she sees hundreds of dandelion spores lifting into the sky.

"The sky was full of wishes."

There are so many reasons why I adore this book.  Here are three:

1.  The open ended conclusion
The most wonderful part of this book comes at the end. Sorry I need to restate that the best of this story is that it has no ending. Have you read Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present? We never did find out about that present.  Well it is the same here. Carmela makes a wish - but we can only guess about this wish.

2. Vocabulary
I love learning new words. In Carmen full of Wishes I found the word bodega. I had to look up the meaning even though I worked out it was a shop perhaps a small supermarket and I was right - it is a convenience store.

3. Art and illustrations
Really this perhaps should be my number one feature of this book. Christian Robinson uses collage, paint and Mexican papel picado.  If you want to try this technique with children here are some easy instructions.

Image Source Etsy Mexican Decorations

Listen to Matt de la Pena reading some his book.

Here is a video reading of the whole book.

It’s another near-perfect slice of life from a duo that has found a way to spotlight underrepresented children without forgetting that they are children first. Kirkus Star review

Another gorgeous and diverse picture book from two masters,this one belongs in every library. Waking Brain Cells

Little Nelly's Big Book by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Andy Rowland

Have you read the folk tale about the six blind men and the elephant? Little Nelly's Big Book is a variation on that theme. Nelly is reading a book. She makes an amazing discovery:

Mice can be grey
Mice have big ears
Mice have skinny tails

It is so obvious Nelly is mouse! The book she is reading is a big book of words but with no pictures. Of course as a reader you can see Nelly herself reading the Big Book. Nelly is not a mouse she is a small elephant. Nelly does not know this. The book explains mice live in holes in skirting boards. Nellie lifts up a skirting board and finds the mice are at home.

"Er, you're rather a big mouse,' said Micky.
'I'm not!' said Little Nelly. 'If I'm a big mouse, why am I called little Nelly?"

Micky is not convinced but Granny mouse invites Little Nellie to join them. Things go well but Little Nellie doesn't feel entirely comfortable. Granny uses her laptop computer to do some research. The mice decide Nelly should visit the zoo and meet other 'mice' just like her.

The zoo is the perfect place for Nelly so Micky decides to take a look at the Big Book himself. He makes an amazing discovery:

Elephants can be grey
Elephants have big ears
Elephants have skinny tails

It all makes sense - Micky is an elephant!

The images in this picture book remind us that your outward appearance is not really important. What is really important in life is who you are and how you relate to the people who love you. Blog Curled up with a Good Book

This book celebrates being different and relishes the difficulty a large creature has in adapting to a small way of life. Books for Keeps

Take a look here to see all the books by Pippa Goodhart.  Sadly Little Nelly's Big Book was published in 2012 so it is now out of print but you might be lucky and find a copy in a library.

Here is another book I love about little elephants:

I would also pair Little Nelly's Big Book book with Fey Mouse by Hazel Edwards. Sadly this book is also out of print but I think many Australian Primary school libraries would have a copy.

I Yam a Donkey by Cece Bell

Language can be so confusing. "I am" - two words which might sound like "I yam".  Add in the complication of an actual Yam and a silly donkey and you have a perfect recipe for fun. The conversation goes back and forth and the frustration levels of poor Yam are so funny. This is a book to read aloud. It is sure to tickle your funny bone.

"Okay. So what you is saying is that you is a donkey, right?"
"NO! I am not a donkey! And it's not 'you is'! It's 'you are'! You are, you are, you are!"

I read one reviewer who mentioned children might not know about yams? 

The wordplay is kid-pleasingly silly with a tiny whiff of sophistication: you have to know what a yam is in order to get the joke, for example, and also have a rudimentary grasp of grammar. Horn Book

Image Source North Carolina Sweet Potatoes

You can see the art from this book here on Seven Impossible Things.

Here is another book by Cece Bell which I talked about on this blog - Rabbit and Robot - the Sleepover.

There is a sequel to I Yam A Donkey - You loves Ewe (2019).

I was interested to read Cece Bell is married to Tom Angleberger author of the terrific Origami Yodi series which are perfect for Middle Grade readers.

It is not on the same topic but I would pair I Yam a Donkey with Wonkey Donkey - just because it is another very funny book about donkeys.

I like bees, I don't like honey by Sam Bishop illustrated by Fiona Lumbers

I do hope the title of this book caught your attention. This is a new discovery for me and I am so excited to share it here because this book is wonderful. How did I miss this book back in 2017? The premise is simple - can you answer these two questions?

What do you like?  What don't you like?

Here is the publisher blurb:

There's nothing like a small child to give you an honest answer, and so we asked a group what their likes and dislikes were. Their answers were enlightening, funny, and also profound - so we've gathered them together in a beautifully illustrated package to encourage other young children to express their feelings too. This charming, delightful and thoroughly entertaining book is perfect for anyone trying to gently broach a conversation about individuality, fears and hopes with their child. Allen and Unwin

There are so many beautiful ideas in this book - from the funny to the poignant. Here are a few that touched my heart.

I like rainbows. I don't like being tapped on the shoulder.

I like skateboarding. I don't like being asked lots of questions

I like running. I don't like secrets.

I like chasing balloons. I don't like people going away.

I like woolly mammoths. I don't like being rushed.

I like pulling silly faces! I don't like war.

I like steam trains! I don't like people dying.

This book just begs to be used as an inspiration for children and their writing. Here is the plan used by one Kindergarten teacher.

Fiona Lumbers is the illustrator of another book that I loved and recently talked about The Secret Sky Garden.

Do not open this book! Finding a way to laugh during difficult times

Today my local library closed; the two schools I visit each week cannot accept volunteers; the hospital library where I work is also closed so I thought it might be time for a few books that make me smile.

I am not going to say too much about these because, well I was unable to read them! As their covers all say - Do NOT open this book! Read some of these yourself (if you can). Young children will love them and with older children you can talk about the idea of "breaking the fourth wall."

The Black Book of Colours by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria

Tuesday Treasure

The Black Book of Colours was first published in 2006 under the Spanish title El Libro Negro de los colores. Good news this important book is still in print.

Thomas is blind but he can still talk about colour.  He tells us about his personal understanding and experiences of colour all depicted in black relief illustrations with a text also presented in braille.

Every school library and every public library should contain a copy of this unique, important and truly special book.

Yellow tastes like mustard
Red is sour like unripe strawberries and sweet as watermelon
Brown crunches under his feet like autumn leaves
Green tastes like lemon ice cream and smells like grass that has just been cut
But black is the king of all colour. It is soft as silk ...

Image source Brain Pickings

Fascinating, challenging and lovely.  Kirkus Star Review

A truly unique and moving story, The Black Book of Colours is a must-read for any child and parent. Kids' Book Review

Hello my name is Ruby by Philip C. Stead

This is a deceptively simple picture book that follows the pattern of "Are you my mother?"  Although in this case Ruby would like to find a friend, perhaps find out where she fits in or maybe find "her tribe" . She has lovely manners. She talks to a number of different birds and is able to share experiences such as flying and walking and she discovers there are many ways to see the world. Even though many of the other birds do respond to Ruby no one seems to actually want to be her friend. 

Ruby stands alone, in the rain, singing a sad song. Finally the sun comes out and a curious bird called 'Skeep-wock' comes along. He has heard the name Ruby (ROOO-bee) before. This is the most wonderful news because he takes he to meet a whole flock of birds who look and sound just like her. Then, as with the best picture books, the next page will give you a gasp and a smile.

Good news this book was published in 2013 but it is still available and in paperback. This book would make a lovely gift for a young child aged 3-5 and should be part of every preschool book collection.

Ruby is a diminutive, yellow bird whose frequent introductions are a touch formal: “I am glad to meet you.” She fearlessly initiates conversation with much bigger birds and is the kind of friend who offers ideas and is willing to try the suggestions of others. Kirkus Star review

With illustrations rendered in chalk pastel, colored pencils, and colored ink, Stead tells a story that all children should be able to identify with: that of making friends. Ruby, a little yellow bird with blue-tipped wings, is out to make friends. She approaches each new bird with an open heart and seems to bring out the best in each bird she meets. Horn Book

A tiny but oh so impressive little bird will steal your heart in this vibrant picture book. Waking Brain Cells

Nothing by Yasmeen Ismail

This book follows the tradition of Come Away from the Water Shirley; Time to get out of the Bath, Shirley; and Kirsty Knows Best. Just like Shirley and Kirsty, Lila is a girl with an exceptional imagination.

Lila and her mother are setting of to visit Grandfather.  Lila's mother keeps checking what Lila is doing - she says:

Nothing!

But this is not really true. Lila is using her imagination and so her daily routine is so much more interesting.

Is Lila putting on her shoes? No she is wrestling a gigantic purple octopus.

"I'll fight this fearsome beastie and soon he will regret not giving up much sooner to become my faithful pet."

Is Lila fetching her coat? No she is busy with her acrobatic ribbons while riding a zebra.

"Flip and spring and ZOOM and tumble. I won't slip. I NEVER fumble. I boing and bounce. I ping and pong! I'm quick and swift and super strong!"

Every page in this book is a riot of colour and movement. Best of all Grandpa has an imagination too and so the two of them can fly off the page and away with the birds.

You might like to compare Nothing with Drac and the Gremlin which explores imaginative play in an urban backyard.

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser

If you are an animal that hibernates you may not know about snow!

"White and wet and cold and soft."

Squirrel, Hedgehog and later Bear join together to wait for the first fall of snow. They know the facts, as explained by Deer.  White? Wet?? Cold? Soft?

This is a such a surprising book. It is so noisy and yet so quiet.  It is so cold and at the same time filled with warm smiles.

Squirrel is the first to hear about snow. He decides to keep himself busy while he waits but he is very  noisy so he wakes up Hedgehog. While the two of them wait for the first snowflake Squirrel suggests he and Hedgehog sing sea shanties. The following pages have no words but you can see them wildly singing in the forest and of course they wake up Bear.

Our group of three now go looking for snow. Hedgehog finds the first snowflake! Yes it is white, and wet, and cold (toothbrush!). Squirrel also finds the first snowflake. It is white, and cold and a little wet (tin can!). Bear "is speechless. Because what they have found is white and wet and cold but not soft at all!" Luckily he has found the very first 'snowflake!' They all sit down and look at this slightly smelly object (single old sock). There are no words on these pages - you don't need words but as the group sit together the first real snowflakes do begin to fall. This is an exquisite picture book moment. To celebrate their happiness the group make their very first snowman and then they retire to bear's cave for a good long sleep!

Now turn to the final end paper.  It is perfect.

Readers will howl at the animals’ mistaken notions of snow,and they’ll sigh with satisfaction at the just-cozy-enough end. A perfect marriage of words and pictures. Kirkus Star Review

Now take a minute to read this detailed and glowing review by Elizabeth Bird.  "But once in a great while, if I’m lucky, I run across a book so spectacular that I have to review it immediately. Waiting for Winter was that book."

I am so sad to say this book is out of print. It was first published in 2009. Sebastian Meschenmoser is a German author illustrator.  Here is the German cover of Waiting for Winter.

But I do have some good news there are two sequels to Waiting for Winter and both are still in print. Take a look at this review in the School Library Journal.