The Lonely Mailman by Susanna Isern illustrated by Daniel Montero Galán

A loving tribute to problem-solvers, quarrel menders, 

and peacemakers. Kirkus Star review

The mailman is lonely because, while he delivers letters every day to the other forest animals he never receives a letter himself and each evening he returns to his empty home.

Oddly I cannot say much more about The Lonely Mailman because I want you to enjoy the wonderful story surprise. I do have one small suggestion. Once you have read this book and discovered the 'truth' you might like to re-read the pairs of letters in reverse order.  If you cannot bear to wait to read this book you can read the whole plot here - Celebrate Picture books.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about A Mystery in the forest also by Susanna Isern and Daniel Montero Galán. The Lonely Mailman is the first book in this series. The Spanish title is Cartas en el bosque. You can see inside the Spanish edition here. The paperback edition of The Lonely Mailman was published in 2017 and I am pleased to see it is still available. I do enjoy books that contain letters and I have made a small Pinterest collection of them - Letters and Letter writing.

The Magic Ball of Wool by Susanna Isern illustrated by Nora Hilb translated by Jon Brokenbrow

One night a ball of wool lands on a sleeping hedgehog. In the morning a spider sees the wool and suggests the hedgehog might like to use it for knitting.  In the following scenes (as you may have seen in the wonderful book Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett) the hedgehog makes special and kind garments for his forest friends. 

He makes a sweater for a small mouse; fancy mittens for the frog; a big balaclava for his friend the bear and one hundred socks for the centipede. But as each gift is given something magic happens. The wool is able to grant wishes and so the sweater turns into delicious cheese; the mittens become a mirror; the balaclava is now a huge sea shell and those hundred socks turn into castanets!

All of this is great fun but now comes the twist. A crab arrives. He needs a strong rope because a huge blue whale is stranded on the beach. What can hedgehog do? There is only one tiny piece of wool left. Luckily the forest animals are compassionate. They arrive at hedgehogs door and return their magic gifts. Now all that hedgehog has to do is pull the thread from each gift and he will have the whole ball of wool again. Now you have probably guessed that the whale is indeed rescued and hedgehog is able to knit the strong rope but you will gasp when you see the rope is transformed into something completely unexpected - a butterfly.

Here are some activities to use with The Magic Ball of wool. 

The Magic Ball of Wool was originally published in Spanish with the title El ovillo mágico in 2013. I did find a paperback edition of the English translation published in 2019 and this may be available.

The Magic Ball of wool won a Silver Medal in 2013 in the Moonbeam awards.

The Moonbeam contest began in 2006 as a way to open up awards in children’s publishing to all types of publishers and genres. By developing a contest that would recognise winners in each of the nuanced categories of children’s publishing, it was hoped to bring attention to the under-sung children’s books and their creators who fell between the cracks in larger, more general contests.

I talked about Susanna Isern in a previous post where I explored her book A Mystery in the Forest.

Here is a collection of books which feature knitting called Yarn Yarns from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. Knitting is a fun mini theme to use with classes in Kindergarten up to Year 2 especially if you can take along a little knitting, wool and knitting needles to show the children how knitting works. Take a look at some other books by Argentinian illustrator Nora Hilb.

A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr

 "This book is bursting with colour and heart" 

Libby Armstrong Beachside Bookshop

I am going to begin with two text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing.  Here are the first sentences from the opening pages;

"You have arrived for a better life at the New House in the New Land. It has been a long journey, the first time you've ever been on an aeroplane. It was nerve-racking when they checked the suitcases at the airport, even though your family has next to no possessions, let alone anything to hide."

Shirley Marr tells us so much from these few sentences but she also leaves so many unanswered questions. Where is the New Land? Who owns the New House? Where have the family travelled from? Why do they have so few possessions? Its been a long journey - is our narrator a refugee? If she is how did she come to travel by aeroplane?

The New House which Meixing calls Big Scary, was owned by First Uncle. He has died and left the house to his sister and her husband. Ma Ma is expecting a baby. Ba Ba will need to get a job and a car and this will be difficult when he has limited skills with the New Language. The neighbours - Mr and Mrs Huynh are kind and offer food and practical help but they speak another language (I assume Vietnamese) and so their food and customs are unfamiliar to the Lim family. Later we learn Meixing and her family have come from China.

Things at school are also confusing for Meixing. In this scene she needs to cross the road but the procedures with the lollipop man are so confusing:

"He thinks you're a silly girl who doesn't know how to cross the road. And he's right. You are a silly girl who doesn't know how to cross the road. Back where you came from there were hardly any cars. Or roads, for that matter. The workers flats you lived in, the deep wounds in the ground from where the machines took out the precious Earth Dust and the handful of shops were the only blights on the island. Beyond that was jungle and dirt tracks, and you went wherever you wanted. You were wild and free ... "

In the backyard of the new house Meixing discovers a greenhouse. When she steps inside she enters a magical place. First Uncle shows her how to plant seeds as a way to understand the past. Later she is able to share this magic with Kevin Huynh from next door and Josh.  "You know that if you call on the glasshouse in your hour of need, the glasshouse - suspended somewhere between reality and imagination - will never let you down."

It is not often that I say I really dislike a character in a book but in A Glasshouse of Stars the teacher Miss Cicely  is despicable. Her treatment of Meixing feels like child abuse. I shudder to think a teacher would actually speak to or treat a student in the way we witness from Miss Cicely and I do hope Shirley Marr was not subjected to this cruelty but since this story is semi autobiographical I worry that this part might be based on her experience.  Thank goodness for the compassion of the ESL teacher Ms Jardine. So you can  see from these comments that this is a book that makes the reader feel things. I loved the honesty of Meixing; the developing friendships; the fragments of each child's back story which we see in the glasshouse; the crazy aunties who arrive at Big scary; and most importantly the way Shirley Marr lets her reader experience just how hard it is when you don't have language skills to communicate your wants, needs and wishes.

When you pick up this book you may find the writing style is a little challenging. Our students are more familiar with either first or third person narratives.  Shirley Marr explains:

This is a migration story I have been trying to write all my life. But I also spent a lot of my life trying to forget and disappearing into myself. I tried to write it from a first person point of view, but it always felt too close and I would always pull back. Third person also felt so distant, like I was writing someone else's story. I happened to pick up a copy of Deadgirls by Nancy Lee from an op-shop while looking for reading matter while on holiday. I was immediately inspired by the first short story, written in the second voice. As soon as I started writing my story in the same voice, I knew it was right. I knew it was a story I had to tell while the reader walked in my shoes and saw some of the things I saw and experienced when I was a child.

The cover of A Glasshouse of Stars is beautiful. The art is by Cornelia Li. My copy of A Glasshouse of Stars came from Penguin Random House. In the UK Usborne have given this book a different cover. I love comparing covers with students. Take a look at this review.

Here is the blurb from Readings in Melbourne: 

Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land, inherited from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing and not in a good way, including the house she has dubbed Big Scary. She is embarrassed by the second-hand shoes given to her by the kind neighbours, has trouble understanding the language at school, and with fitting in and making new friends. Her solace is a glasshouse in the garden that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and all the secrets of her memory and imagination. Her fragile universe is rocked when tragedy strikes and Ma Ma refuses to face the world outside. Meixing finds herself trapped within the shrinking walls of Big Scary. Her parents said this would be a better life for them all, but it feels like the worst and most heart-breaking experience of Meixing’s entire existence. Surviving will take all the resilience and inner belief of this brave girl to turn their world around.

Here is another review from The Bottom Shelf and this book also reached Ms Yingling in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Karen Yingling gives, as usual, a great plot summary. While she enjoyed this book she feels it is too "Australian" for her readers.

Here are some companion reads. Just like Wen in Tiger Daugher, Meixing also carries the huge burden of parental expectations.

Tiger Daughter

No ballet shoes in Syria

Front Desk

Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

Tola lives with her older sister Moji and her younger brother Dapo and their hardworking Grandmummy in Lagos, Nigeria. Daily life is a struggle for this small family but there is love and laughter in their simple home. One of the daily tasks, which the children are expected to complete while Grandmummy is away selling groundnuts by the side of the road, is sorting the rice and removing stones.  This will seem an incredible task to a young reader in affluent Australia. I had no idea cheap rice was sold with stones.

"The family can only buy cheap sacks of rice. Cheap sacks of rice have many small stones in them, stones that must be picked out."

Tola settles into this task but her brother and sister are distracted. Dapo wants to practice with his ball and Moji wants to study on her computer. Tola is unhappy but she is also determined to help her Grandmummy and she knows it is essential to sort the rice. Then there is a disaster. A pair of precious earrings are knocked on the floor.  One is found but it seems as though the other is lost. How can Tola wisely save the day?

In the second story Grandmummy becomes very seriously ill. She has put some money aside for emergencies. The money must now all be spent on medicine and it is up to the three children to work out how to earn money for food because it seems Grandmummy will be ill for some weeks. Moji cannot miss her school work so she cannot help. Dapo should help but he seems more interested in the mechanics who are working near the roadway so it is once again up to Tola to sell the groundnuts. Dapo is annoying but by the end of this chapter you will cheer that he has found a much better way to help his family.

In the third and final story, Tola would love to go to the masquerade parade but Grandmummy explains she cannot go alone. Tola also sees some girls who look very fine. They have more money than Tolo's family. She sees three girls and you can read about them here:

"A girl walking towards her. A girl wearing a pink skirt and a T-shirt embroidered with a silver heart."

"A girl, Tola's age comes out of the shop. She is wearing a pair of jeans ... (that fit) her all the way up and way down and they have no stains at all. ... Her jeans are cool. Her denim jacket is cool. Her hair that falls down her back like a black waterfall looks freshly washed and cool, cool cool!"

"She is staring at (another) girl wearing a traditional buba and blouse in matching bright-red cloth with white aeroplanes printed on it."

Tola longs for new clothes, better hair, and most of all to attend the Masquerade. Grandmummy is so wise. She knows Tola is a very special girl and so she finds a way to make this dream come true.

This is the second collection of stories built round Tola and her family in Lagos; it is a delight. Atinuke is a storyteller herself and these are stories that demand to be read aloud. They are just the right length, full of atmosphere, built round situations that arise out of Tola’s everyday. Books for Keeps

Once again, Atinuke has provided both a window and a mirror for children to immerse themselves in when adventuring with Tola in a different culture, and for children from urban Nigeria to see their homes and communities reflected in a book. Miss Clevelands Reading

As you read this is the second book in the Too Small Tola series. I highly recommended the first book and I am going to say the same thing about the second which is equally good. This is a book series which should be added to all Primary school collections. You can see the art from this book on Onyinye Iwu's web page.

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

 

The year is 1871. The place is Placid, Wisconsin. The event is the arrival of huge flocks of pigeons. The mystery concerns the dead body bought back into town by sheriff McCabe. The twist comes when Georgie, sister of Agatha, refuses to believe this body, which they are burying today, is actually Agatha.

Georgie is carrying huge guilt. Her sister Agatha seemed set to marry young Billy McCabe but then the older man, Mr Olmstead comes courting and it seems Agatha prefers his company perhaps because he owns a huge library of books in his hotel. Georgie sees Agatha kissing Billy and she decides to tell Mr Olmstead. Shortly after this, Agatha disappears. Then days later the sheriff arrives with that body. Georgie is determined to uncover the truth. She thinks she can do this alone but in reality she will need help but is Billy McCabe the right person to join her journey?

Here are some text quotes which show the quiet wisdom of Georgie:

"As for particular clothing, I decided to wear my split skirt. I planned on travelling by horseback, and sidesaddles seemed precarious. Doesn't a person have more chance of staying on top of a horse with one leg over each side? I didn't want to perch; I wanted to clamp. Not that I'd ridden a horse before, but some things make sense."

"If you only talk to nice people you won't find out the half of it. Nice people either keep their noses so clean they hardly know a thing, or they conveniently forget what they know and fill their heads with daisies. You've got to talk to the rude ones as well."

"Seemed like I'd lived two lifetimes already. My first thirteen years took an uneventful forever, but this second lifetime? Why, it took all of three days: Billy and I had left on a Saturday night. I'd met a cougar on Sunday. I'd been in Dog Hollow on Monday. And today was Tuesday. On Tuesday I'd been to the nowhere place and Garrow farm, made a marriage proposal, and found money in a cave. Would this Tuesday never end?"

The pace of this story seems to match the ride taken by Georgie on the back of a mule she names Long Ears but then Amy Timberlake pulls her reader up with such a jolt. Chapter sixteen contains a wonderful and dangerous twist and then we have (in my book on page 188) the most amazing shoot out scene. I forgot to mention Georgie is a crack shot. Georgie sure is one character you will never forget. As Besty Bird says in the School Library Journal "I like children’s books that sock you in the gut."

Georgie's story will capture readers' imaginations with the very first sentences and then hold them hostage until the final page is turned. Kirkus star review

The author seamlessly introduces food, clothing, transportation and societal manners from the time period, allowing readers to learn about the era without even realizing it. Book Page

The author beautifully combines sadness with humor and it is hard not to develop a fondness for Georgie, who readily admits to her failures. Through the Looking Glass

I mentioned pigeons.  The pigeons in this book are passenger pigeons which are now extinct. At the back of One came home there are details of the millions of passenger pigeons that used to take over enormous nesting areas in the US.

In 1871 their great communal nesting sites had covered 850 square miles of Wisconsin’s sandy oak barrens—136 million breeding adults, naturalist A.W. Schorger later estimated. Audobon

Several reviews suggest The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate as a companion read to go with One came home.

I loved Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake and I was keen to read other books by Amy, so I popped One came home onto my wish list. One came home won a Newbery honor in 2014 and it is a very different book from Skunk and Badger but I am thrilled to have discovered it. The winner in 2014 was Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, written by Kate DiCamillo; with honors to Doll Bones, written by Holly Black; The Year of Billy Miller, written by Kevin Henkes; Paperboy, written by Vince Vawter; and One came home.

Gus makes a fuss: Pet Sitters Book One by Ella Shine illustrated by Lisa Flanagan

Cassie and Lina do not own a pet. The girls are best friends. Both sets of parents say no to pet ownership but Cassie and Lina are desperate especially since their town of Barefoot Springs is about to hold a Pet Parade. 

As chance would have it the lady down the road has a cat and he needs pet sitting.  Gus is a rather special cat. He has one grey ear and one white one, "a cute little nose and a bit of a frowny face. He's like a grumpy little fur-ball." You can probably imagine Gus in your 'mind's eye' but you will never guess the other thing that makes Gus rather special. He can TALK but only if both girls are in the same room. Being able to talk means Gus can make his demands known. He is not happy that his owner seems to regularly abandon him. On the day of his arrival Gus escapes and then his owner returns earlier than expected. It's a pet sitting disaster.

Will the girls be able to attend the Pet Parade - with a pet? Can they ever be trusted to pet sit ever again? And what about grumpy Gus?

Gus Makes a Fuss is the first book in the Pet Sitters series. I am always on the look out for easy chapter books with good stories.  This book is not quite at the level I search for but the story did hold my interest. I think it will suit readers aged 7+ to read independently or 5+ if the story is shared by an adult.  I did enjoy the cheeky and bossy voice of Gus. At the end of Gus makes a fuss the stage is set for further adventures and pets!

Here are some books which I would suggest to readers as companion books to go with Gus makes a fuss. There are several books in the Lulu series; The Bed and Biscuit series; Pet Hotel; and Daisy Dawson (she can talk to animals).

You can hear the first chapter on the publisher web site - Puddle Dog Press. This series are also available as ebooks.

This is the first time I have been sent a book by an author. I have explained to "Ella Shine" whose real name is Penny Reeve that I am excited to read her book written with Cecily Paterson but I will only talk about it here if I enjoy it. I avoid negative comments. If I read a book (and I do read heaps of books every week) and I don't really enjoy it then I just don't mention it here. I was interested to discover the authors (who run Puddle Dog Press) sent their book to the television presenter Pip Rasmussen. Pip is my friend's daughter and she was a presenter on ABC Me. I wonder if she talked about this series on her program? 

"Pet Sitters: Gus Makes A Fuss is cheeky little story that will have you wanting more - more Gus, more chaos, more pets!"  Pip Rasmussen

Here is the message from Penny:

I saw your link to your book review group on Your Kids Next Read. I'm one half of the author team behind the pen name 'Ella Shine'. We've recently published a new early chapter book series for 6-9 year olds called Pet Sitters. I was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing one of our new books.  The books are available in ebook, audio and print - you can see more information on them at our website www.puddledogpress.com 

Thanks, Penny

Here is the full set of Pet Sitters titles. I think they would make a good addition to a Primary School library. The covers are bright and appealing and the pace of the story means readers will keep turning those pages. 

Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins

 

The animals of the farm treat the small donkey with contempt. Donkey dreams about a journey to a special place - a place of magic. When he sets off the next morning the farm animals follow him but their harsh words continue. As they walk along the grumbling and unkindness grows. They are even unkind to one another. 

"He's too muddleheaded to be on his own.' And all the animals laughed."

"They yowled and they growled and they stamped and they spat ... "

But the donkey says one powerful word - WAIT. The donkey has bought the animals to a statue. It is a statue of a humble donkey. Now the story voice changes.  The statue donkey speaks. He is the donkey who worked with Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick. Together they carried hundreds of soldiers to safety at Gallipoli. The statue can be seen near the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

Image Source: City Collection Melbourne

Blurb: At the farm, the donkey is teased by the other animals - especially the bull! Then one night the donkey has a magical dream. The following day they all set out on a most amazing journey. This uplifting story of humility, courage and compassion weaves in the heroic Anzac legend of Simpson and the Donkey.

Next week, when I visit the Book Bunker at Westmead Children's Hospital, I will have the chance to read a picture book to the children from the hospital school.  I am excited to do this but also fairly nervous because we never know who is coming until the children arrive and they can be aged as young as five up to eleven.  Anzac Day falls two days before this visit so the Book Bunker coordinator suggested I should read an ANZAC book.  There are plenty to choose from but finding one that covers such a huge range of ages is tricky.  

Tonight I reread The Anzac Puppy by Peter Millett illustrated by Trish Bowles and Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry. I think Anzac Ted might be too complex for a short session. I am not sure if there would be time to scaffold words like foe, ridicules, and woes.  The Anzac Puppy is a heartwarming story but again I am not sure about reading it to the youngest children. Here are two text extracts:

"Trapped in their grimy prison, Sam and Freda shared everything they had ..."

"The long cold nights at the front soon turned into long, terrifying months."

I think I will share Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins with the children next week. If you want some other picture books based around the story of Simpson and his donkey these books are sure to be found in Australian Primary school libraries:

Here is my earlier post about ANZAC Day books and my Pinterest collection which contains some newer titles.

Ariba: an old tale about new shoes by Masha Manapov

Marcus is so excited to have new shoes they even have flashing lights. 

Image source: Enchanted Lion

When he tells his Grandpa about the shoes, Grandpa recounts a story from long ago about another pair of shoes.

I enjoyed the way this book contains a story within a story and the final scene is sure to make you smile.

Publisher blurb Enchanted Lion: Marcus’ joy over a new pair of shoes reminds his grandfather of an old story about a boy named Ariba and his adventure-loving shoes. Every time Ariba put his shoes on, something crazy would happen. Once they even took him climbing to the peak of the yellow mountain! But one day, Ariba decides he’s going to move from his small village to the city on the other side of the mountains. When he arrives, he buys all new things—including a new pair of shoes. His new life has no room for the old pair. And yet, wouldn’t you know it? No matter what he does, the shoes keep finding their way back to him…

This story is great fun to share with young listeners, who will giggle each time the shoes make their way back to Ariba and will be delighted to recognize Ariba’s shoes at the end. Older readers will appreciate the gentle thread about staying connected to one’s roots. Kirkus Star review

Masha Manapov was born in Azerbaijan and grew up in Tel Aviv. She now lives in England. Ariba is her first book as author and illustrator. Here is an excellent and detailed interview with Masha. She mentions two of her favourite childhood books were Ronia the Robber’s Daughter and The Brothers Lionheart both by Astrid Lindgren. You can see art from Ariba here. I have one extra question for Masha - I would like to read the original African folktale or a version of this folktale which inspired her book.

If you read this book to a group of older students you could also share this photography project where Shannon Jensen took photos of shoes worn by refugees.  The images are amazing, sad, important, and are sure to lead to a deep discussion. Take a look at this post by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything.

Here is the perfect companion read to use with Ariba:

Those Shoes

You might also look at Grandma's treasured shoes.

Quentin's Lunch by Duncan Ball illustrated by Stephen Axelsen

Friday Old Favourite

This book is hard to read (for an adult) because it is filled with utterly disgusting 'stuff'. On the other hand this book is a winner with young kids.

Quentin does not enjoy the fresh lunch his mother lovingly prepares for him each day. She goes to so much trouble but this horrible boy puts the lunch boxes in the family shed and leaves them there for many weeks. Each day he takes a old lunch to school. He enjoys the matured flavours but the other kids in his class are horrified.

Hold onto your stomach - here is a text quote:

"He opened up his bag that day to see what goodies in it lay. And soon he'd set about to eat a huge banana, black as peat. The middle part had gone all gucky, so Quentin (doubtless feeling lucky) peeled back the skin, then with a grin, he puckered up and sucked it in."

I'm sure this text quote is making you feel quite ill but can I assure you this is not the worst scene. Quentin does find a live rat in his lunch and that is the scene that will truly horrify you, and delight your class! The final scene where Quentin explodes is hilarious. I should also warn you about the cockroaches!

This book comes from a series (now long out of print) called Crazy Tales published by ABC Books (1999-2001) here in Australia. These may no longer be in school libraries because the paperback copies have probably badly discoloured. Here are some other titles from the Crazy Tales series by well known Australian authors such as Phil Cummings; Emily Rodda; Duncan Ball; Richard Tulloch; and Max Fatchen all with illustrations by Stephen Axelsen. I think a publisher should consider bringing these funny books back into print. They are simple to read thanks to the clever rhyming text, their very funny characters, and they are filled with terrific large illustrations perfect for readers aged 8+ who will delight in all the 'yuck and muck'.

The Cockerel and the Fox retold and illustrated by Helen Fox

Pride comes before a fall ...

Chanticleer is the farm rooster. He is handsome, proud, and loved but he is also vain. He has never seen a fox until one day : "It was Mr Fox - reddish, doggish and hungry for his supper."

Fox is a cunning fellow, as you would expect. He flatters Chanticleer and snatches him by the neck. Chanticleer's wife, Pertelote, raises the alarm. The farm animals give chase. It is a wild stampede.

Image source: Visual languages and Analysis Kat Bayliss

Luckily all of this running has given Chanticleer time to think. When the farm animals stop at the edge of the wood afraid to continue Chanticleer says:

"I have to admit you are a clever fellow. Such bravery and wit! It's such a shame these lowly beasts do not realise. You should tell them what a fine trick you played on me. What a cunning plot you devised. After all they think that I am the cleverest creature in all the kingdom."

The fox opened his mouth to speak and ...

"Beware of false flattery ... now there is a moral worth remembering."

Blurb: "This tale, of 12th century French origin, has been told many times through the years, most notably by Chaucer in The Nun's Priest's Tale."

There are also Aesop versions of this story - the reverse story in The fox and the crow; and The Dog, the Cockerel and the Fox.

The Cockerel and the Fox by Helen Ward was originally published in 2002 but it is still available in paperback (2020).

This book is filled with rare breeds of chickens, goats, ducks, pigs, and cattle. I loved reading so many beautiful names such as Gold Partridge Dutch (bantam); Silver Appleyard Drake; Belted Galloway (my favourite breed of cattle); Soay (sheep from islands off the west coast of Scotland); and the Suffolk Punch (horse). I really appreciate the detailed work involved in the way Helen Ward accurately draws so many diverse farm animals. Her lists of rare breeds are such a bonus and are are sure to foster curiosity in your young reading companion. 

Helen Ward is a fabulous illustrator. If you are not familiar with her work try to find some of these:

The Tin Forest