Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar by Emily MacKenzie

 

"Ralfy dreamed about books. In fact he didn't just dream about them ... he wanted to read all the time."

Adults will adore Ralfy's book list with titles such as:

• Around the field in 80 days
• The Secret Vegetable Garden
• The 39 Lettuces
• The Hoppit
• Warren Peas 
• Gone with the Carrots
• The Rabbit, the Fox and the Wardrobe

"He made lists of all the books he had read (and gave them carrot ratings). He made lists of all the books he wanted to read (and placed them in category order). He even made lists of books to recommend to his family and friends."

Now go back and re-read the book title - Wanted!  Yes Ralfy is a book thief. 

"He crept off with comics and cookbooks, dashed away with dictionaries and nabbed novels and pinced poetry."

Did you need a sentence to demonstrate alliteration - surely this one is perfect.

Who is Ralphy robbing?  Young Arthur has tons of books but he notices some favourites are missing. Arthur sets up a surveillance using his camera, notebook, chalk, sticky tape and a torch. He sits up waiting with snacks and his teddy bear for company. Late that night Ralfy arrives he takes yet another book and hops away. Arthur tries to tell adults what has happened but no one believes him especially not the police. 

Luckily for all the book owners though, Ralfy makes a big mistake. Unluckily for Ralfy the next house he tries to rob belongs to PC Puddle - the policeman Arthur had phoned earlier. The police use a lineup of rabbits wearing 'I love books' T-shirts and a conveyor belt of carrots and books to identify the thief. 

Ralfy is found - and he confesses but all Ralfy really wants is lots of books. Arthur (and every reader) has the answer. Ralfy needs a library card!

This book was published in 2015 but it is still available. It would be a good addition to your school library and a fun book to read at the start of the year as you are encouraging your students to use your library, read and borrow often! Here is the website for Emily MacKenzie. She lives in Scotland. Here's a video of Emily reading her book Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar.

MacKenzie’s text is sweetly amusing without being precious, and smart without being over-the-heads of children. Her watercolor and ink illustrations provide a pleasant, cartoon-like background to her story. The pictures perfectly accompany the text on the page without distracting from the plot. When you stop to appreciate the sophisticated ease of MacKenzie’s writing and illustrating style, it is hard to believe this is a debut book. The Children's Book Review

MacKenzie combines story and illustration with brightness, action, and intrigue, keeping the pace moving while endearing this fluffy burglar to readers. Much of the illustrative humor is geared toward older bookworms, with famous titles adapted to long-eared persuasions: Warren Peas, for example, and The Rabbit with the Dandelion Tattoo, ensuring that adults will stay as engaged as little listeners will. This will be a raving favorite for fans of books about books as well as older readers who can appreciate the library humor. Kirkus review

There are three books in this series - the newest one The great library rescue will be published in April, 2024.

Beware! Ralfy Rabbit LOVES books. He loves nothing more than finding a quiet spot and reading. But things aren't so quiet anymore … Rodney, Ralfy's new baby brother, is making sure of that. And when Ralfy discovers a huge bite-mark hole in one of his favourite books, things go from bad to worse. Who could be behind the biting? Ralfy Rabbit is determined to find out!

Help! Ralfy and his little brother Rodney LOVE reading - so when they hear that their local library is closing down, they know they have to do something. According to the librarian, it would take a magic dragon to save the library - so Ralfy, Rodney and their friends set off to find one! Will Ralfy find the magic dragon? Or is there - just maybe - another way to bring the town together and save the library for everyone?

CBCA Notables for 2024

Each year the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) judges read hundreds of books (over 600 this year) and then they select up to 25 in each of five categories as Notables. (Note the New Illustrator award does not have a Notable list - but there will be a short list). Here is a quote from the CBCA press release:

The CBCA received 656 entries for their 15 expert judges to assess. The long list showcases the outstanding work of 118 books, representing 43 publishers, 122 writers, and 72 illustrators. It is a healthy indicator of growth for the industry that the list includes 27 new creators.

The Notables are the Long List. The big announcement was made across the nation last night at 7pm. I attended the Sydney event with enthusiastic people from the children's literature world - authors, illustrators, publishers, and of course most importantly Teacher-Librarians. On 19th March the six short listed books in each category will be announced and on 11th August we will know the winners for 2024. In the meantime, there will be lots of reading and talking and sharing and analysis. 

Every title on the Notables List demonstrates high production values, with writing that is appropriate, considered and highly evolved, and the illustrations by accomplished artists support and expand the narratives with flair and confidence. Creators in our 2024 Notables list include both new and experienced voices.

You can see a pdf of these lists here. 

On this blog I have previously talked about:

The Concrete Garden by Bob Graham

Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker

City of Light by Mark and Heather Jackson

Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parapukkaran and Michelle Pereira

Desert Jungle by Jeannie Baker

Plague by Jackie French illustrated by Bruce Whatley

You can also read more about Briony Stewart and Sophie Blackall. 

On this blog I have previously talked about:

Being Jimmy Baxter by Fiona Lloyd

Evie Dreams Big by Matt Stanton

Meet me at the Moon Tree by Shivuan Plozza

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer

The Sideways orbits of Evie Hart by Samera Kamaleddine

You can also read about the first book where we meet Huda by H Hayek.

On this blog I have previously talked about:

Australia Country of Colour by Jess Racklyeft

Eat my Dust by Lucia Masciullo and Neridah McMullin

The forgotten song - Saving the regent honeyeater by Coral Vass and Jess Racklyeft

I have also talked about the previous books by Jess McGeachin; and by Brentos; and Mark Wilson.

On this blog I have previously talked about:

Grace Notes by Karen Comer (Young adult book)

Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth by Anna Fienberg

I have previously talked about:

Ruby's Repair Cafe by Michelle Worthington and Zoe Bennett

The Concrete Garden by Bob Graham

These Little Feet by Hayley Rawsthorne illustrated by Briony Stewart

Read more about Briony Stewart; Margaret Wild; and Cate James

FURTHER READING

Use this link to read critiques of each title written by the 2024 judges. 

This link will take you to all the Reading Time reviews of the Notable titles. 

This link will take you to reviews by The Book Muse.

MISSING MISSING MISSING

I talked about my Picture Book and Early Childhood and Eve Pownall predictions earlier this week and yes once again I selected book that didn't make the cut. Here are some books I expected to see on the notables list in the Younger Readers category. It is perhaps possible they were not submitted but all of these have five stars from me!

Silver Linings

Cub and Brown

The Fortune Maker

Two Sparrowhawks in a lonely Sky

The Lorikeet Tree

CBCA BOOK WEEK - SATURDAY, 

17 AUGUST TO FRIDAY, 23 AUGUST 2024

Theme: Reading is Magic!

Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan

Take a look at the labels I have assigned to this post - curiosity, friendship and fear.

Safiyyah lives in the mosque in Paris. The German army have marched into the city. Luckily, they are not persecuting the Muslim residents of Paris and people are still able to attend the mosque. Safiyyah's father works at the mosque and her family live in one of the apartments. Everyone is living in fear. Safiyyah has two dreadful encounters with soldiers on her way to school and on her way to deliver medicine to an elderly Jewish man. 

Safiyyah's parents, especially her father, are smuggling Jewish people out of the city. Safiyyah becomes a messenger, so she has even more reason to be dreadfully afraid. Luckily, she is an intelligent girl and also luckily, she is incredibly curious. This means she finds out many more details about the rescue of Jewish people who are using the mosque so they can then escape to safety. She knows many more details than her father would have ever planned to tell her. Near the end of the book this information becomes vital as the men including her father are detained in the main prayer room and it is now up to Safiyyah to help over fifty people urgently escape. The tension in this book is so real and certainly keeps you turning the pages.

As with all the best books for Middle Grade and Upper Primary readers about the events of World War II, this book is told as a first-hand account from the point of view of a young child. I have added a few others at the bottom of this post including some special picture books that I used to share with my Grade Six students.

'Safiyyah's War has the soul of a classic & the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

'All at once, Safiyyah's War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book' - A F Steadman

'Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart' - Nizrana Farook

This is a high-octane venture suffused with sheer terror that Safiyyah’s family’s activities will be discovered by the wrong people. There are two important relationships which stand out, particularly the evolution of Safiyyah’s interactions with her father and of her growing respect for him and his work. The other one is with her beloved grandmother, Setti, who exerts a calming and wise presence and has some of the most profound ideas of the novel. Historical Novel Society

This is both a gripping and moving novel. Hiba Noor Khan brings her detailed research to life and introduces us to many less familiar aspects of occupied Paris. The plot is full of suspense and builds to a thrilling climax. Safiyyah is a courageous and compassionate heroine who reminds us that anybody can make a difference. Just Imagine (read this review for more plot details)

Listen to an audio sample from chapter one page 3.

Companion book:

Beyond Belief

You could type any of these titles into my search bar - all of these would be fabulous to share with a reader aged 10+ who has read Safiyyah's War or who has an interest in the events of  World War II.

The DANZ Children's Book Award

WHAT DOES DANZ STAND FOR?
Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

This is a biennial award which began in 2024.

WHO CAN ENTER THE AWARD?
Authors who are Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.

DANZ is so much more than an award! Our initiative is a way of supporting time-strapped educators, parents, carers, and booksellers across the two countries, and beyond, to recommend, stock, and offer books to children, which have more than a convenient label of diversity. We aim to share books which have the best, fairest, and most accurate representation of marginalised and minority people and communities across Australia and New Zealand.

You can see the 2024 Longlist here. I have previously talked about Stay for Dinner (Picture Book) and Xavier in the Meantime and Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon. 

Short list 2024:

Picture Books

Be Careful, Xiao Xin!
Written by Alice Pung and illustrated by Sher Rill Ng
Published by Working Title Press

Here are my comments from when this book was submitted for CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) judging for our 2023 awards (it was a Notable title). 

How wonderful to have a dual language text (English and Mandarin) submitted for our judging. The refection image on the cover is a brilliant way to show the boy and his reality versus his dream/desire. The end papers are minimal and interesting and, in some ways, bracket the book’s timeline. The title page hat rack image is intriguing. Sher Rill Ng captures every emotion of this little boy in such a powerful way especially on the pages where Xiao Xin looks directly at the reader. The glossy pages soak up the deep blues and greens, moving between light and dark shades, while little Xiao Xin stands out defiantly in his red puffer jacket. Dressing him in this large puffer jacket adds to the themes of over protection – cushioning him in case of a fall, cocooning him so he stays small. Red is also a lucky and auspicious colour in Chinese culture. The illustrations add so much more to this story – such as the unspoken mud shapes portraying his family as shadow-demons haunting Xiao Xin with their own worries. Why are the family so overprotective? We are given fragments, tiny glimpses into Xiao Xin’s family’s past and their journey as refugees. We can see into Xiao Xin’s imagination and his dream to be a brave warrior. Repeating the shadow on the final page gives this book both a sense of completion and hope for the future.

Ceremony 
Written by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing and illustrated by David Hardy
Published by Allen & Unwin

Come Over to My House
Written by Sally Rippin and Eliza Hull and illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

Readings (Melbourne) Review by Dani Solomon: I have been waiting for years for a book like Come Over to My House. On every page you’re invited to someone’s house to play, eat, dance, read or any other number of exciting activities. Except each house does things a little differently: one household talks with their hands (but writing things down is fine too if you don’t know Auslan); another has a perfect-sized treehouse that the perfect-sized dad with dwarfism can climb into and have fun. Every household is unique, and importantly, it’s the visitors who adapt to suit the physical, neurodivergent or intellectual disabilities of those who live there.

Chapter Books

When Granny Came to Stay

Written by Alice Pung and Illustrated by Soweol Han

Published by Pan Australia

Maku

By Meyne Wyatt

Published by Pan Australia

29 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Written by Solli Raphael and illustrated by Olana Janfa

Published by Pan Australia

Middle Grade

The Wintrish Girl

By Melanie La’Brooy

Published by UQP

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm

By Karen Foxlee and illustrated by Freda Chiu

Published by Allen & Unwin

No Words

By Maryam Master

Published by Pan Australia

Predicting the CBCA Notables

Pocket Treasure

The Concrete Garden

The Balloon Blow Up

On Tuesday night the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 notable titles in six categories will be announced.  Here are some picture books that I think might make the cut either in the Early Childhood category; Picture Book of the Year or Eve Pownall (Non-Fiction).  To be eligible the book must be published in 2023 and be written/illustrated by an Australian. Huge congratulations to the fifteen judges who have worked so hard all through last year reading, reporting on and discussing hundreds of new books.

Knock Knock

Davina Bell

Under the red Shawl

I am Lupe

Duncan Smith

Nightsong

City of Light

Hope is the thing

Eat my Dust

A Friend for George

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Bowerbird Blues

A Life Song

Ruby's Repair Shop

Stay for Dinner

And here are some others that I need to read (especially if they do make the cut).

To compile these lists I reviewed the Australian Standing Orders from Scholastic Australia (2023); Pegi Williams standing orders; and Lamont Books.