Silence by Lena Shamshurina

 

"Shh ... I'm looking for silence. It must be lurking around here somewhere."

Silence can be hard to find during the day because there are so many sounds in the city. Perhaps it will be easier at night. The illustration shows this is not easier - the fridge is humming, the clock is ticking, the tap is dripping and someone is snoring. (All of this reminded me of Peace at Last by Jill Murphy). There is no silence in the day and none at night in his house so the little boy sets off into the forest but your young reading companion is sure to anticipate that the forest will be full of noise which we once again see in the interesting black and white illustrations. An owl is hooting, a wolf is howling, and badger is chewing and even the blue bell flowers are going ting tinga ling. Next stop a cave but of course the echoes of the boys own footsteps and words fill this space with sound. He tries going underwater and then into outer space. Space! Finally, a place of silence.

This is a strange book and it is very expensive here in Australia (AUS$35) so perhaps it is just one you might explore in your local library rather than add it to your library collection. I did love the art and the 'silent pages' filled with images making sounds. Take a look at the Kirkus review. I also enjoy the interactive moment at the end of the book where you are invited to run your finger across the page to hear the way this book makes sounds too. 

Bookseller blurb: In this beautifully designed high-concept picture book, an unnamed narrator invites readers on a journey to find the secrets held by silence. Whether it's the echoes in an underground cave, whales singing in the ocean, or even your own stomach gurgling - readers will discover the secret sounds surrounding us, and how even the places where we might expect to find silence are not quiet at all. As the initial hunt for silence turns into a thoughtful, clever examination of sound and space, this engaging story encourages participation and careful observation of the world around us. Filled with evocative black and white illustration and quirky details that will reward multiple readings, this is a title that will inspire discussion - and makes a great bedtime read aloud too.

See inside this book here. 

Lena Shamshurina is an illustrator & author based in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Secrets of the Saltmarsh by Claire Saxby illustrated by Alicia Rogerson

I am land and water.

I need sunshine and rain.

I clean the air and the water.

I store carbon.

I am always changing.

I am a saltmarsh wetland ...

This pattern of text (quoted from pages 3 and 4) is used through out this book - I am a saltmarsh; I am the ocean; I am water; I am the wind; I am sunlight; we are plants; we are birds; we are the little ones; we are the tiny ones; we are the seasons; I am a cycle of life; I am a mangrove tree.

As you would expect there are four pages of extra facts at the back of this book and glossary and map. 

Secrets of the Saltmarsh is another terrific book published by CSIRO here in Australia. They have a knack for selecting interesting topics and also for pairing the right author illustrator combination. This book is a must add title for all Australian primary schoools.

The opening end papers are filled with birds - sandpiper, spoonbill, whimbrel and grassbird. The back end papers are filled with fish. 

This link will take you to the teachers notes. I am going to predict we will see this book listed by the CBCA judges as a 2025 Eve Pownall notable title and possibly a short listed one too. Take a look at this review from The Bottom Shelf.

Definitions:

Salt marsh, area of low, flat, poorly drained ground that is subject to daily or occasional flooding by salt water or brackish water and is covered with a thick mat of grasses and plants such as sedges and rushes.

A mangrove is a type of coastal tree that can live in harsh saltwater environments. When there are many mangroves living together, it’s called a mangrove forest. 

Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.

Claire Saxby explains her book here. 

Further reading:

• Ocean Conservancy US site
• Salt Marsh facts for kids
• Kent wildlife trust UK site
• 3 minute video about mangroves (upper Primary level)
• Australian mangrove facts for kids 

I tried to find other children's books about the saltmarsh - this one is from the US and published 2007:

I would pair this book with Tanglewood.

I do hope the Teacher-Librarian in my former school has discovered this wonderful book Secrets of the Saltmarsh. Our Grade Two students visit the wetland area near my former primary school every year and I did collect lots of books about mangroves (see below) but this one adds another layer of information to that topic.

Take a look here to see all the fabulous books by Claire Saxby. Alicia Rogerson is the illustrator of One Potoroo:

Feathers Together by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

Storks Klepetan and Malena plan their migration every year leaving behind the cold winter in Europe and spending summer in South Africa. They make this huge journey year after year

"But then Malena got hurt. ... After much resting and healing Malena's wing did not hurt but it wouldn't flap, so she couldn't fly up to their nest."

Luckily a kind local man saw this dilemma and so he constructed a series of ramps to assist Malena. But what will happen when Winter arrives. Sadly, Klepetan has to leave without his mate.   

"... missing each other was like having an itch in a place neither could reach to scratch. Missing made new food taste icky and old foods taste blah. It made sleeping too loud and waking up too quiet."

Spoiler alert - our beautiful pair of storks are reunited.

"This book is inspired by the true story of Malena and Klepetan; two white storks who spent a season of each year living over eight thousand miles apart. They reunited every spring for nineteen years in the village of Brodski Varos, Croatia, until Malena died of old age in 2021. The pair birthed and raised sixty-six fledglings with the support of their human caretaker, Stjepan Vokic (a school caretaker)."

The Australian distributor for this book is Thames and Hudson. It is priced just under AUS$30. Hopefully there will be a paperback edition because purchasing this book might be beyond most school library budgets. 

• Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills.
• They live on all continents except Antarctica and are most common in tropical regions.
• Many species prefer to be in or near wetlands, though some occur in drier areas.
• There are 19 species of stork.
• Storks have remarkable eyesight, allowing them to spot small prey from great distances.
• They use their keen vision to locate fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects, which make up a significant portion of their diet.
• Storks are highly social birds and are often seen in large flocks, especially during migration.
• Storks belong to the family called Ciconiidae and make up the order Ciconiiformes.
• The lifespan of storks is about 30 years and sometimes up to 40 years.

Migration: The average journey south takes 49 days and almost 20,000 km. This stork species sets out from Europe and moves over the Strait of Gibraltar into the Sahara desert, following the heavy thermal systems that allow it to efficiently soar to its destination (and even conserve energy in the process!). These flocks, some with almost 11,000 individuals, then follow the Nile River south to eventually settle in various African countries, including Kenya, Sudan, and South Africa.

Storks are classified into these six categories - the storks from this story are Ciconia Ciconia.

• Genus Mycteria: Known for the Painted Stork and the familiar White Stork.
• Genus Anastomus: Home to the Openbill Storks.
• Genus Ciconia: Includes the Woolly-necked Stork and the Black Stork.
• Genus Ephippiorhynchus: The Saddle-billed Stork falls under this category.
• Genus Jabiru: The Jabiru is the only member, native to the Americas.
• Genus Leptoptilos: Notable for the massive Marabou Stork and the Lesser Adjutant.

The author draws out the tension in the most delicious way, readers rushing to the end so that the birds can be reunited, and likely there will be no dry eyes in the house when the duo are finally once again nestled next to one another, feathers together. The digital illustrations give marvelous personality to each stork, their every emotion evident and so relatable for readers. Kirkus Star review

Here is a 16 minute video where you can see Caron Levis and Charles Santoso. Look for these other books by Caron Levis:

Ida, Always

Check out this interview with Charles Santoso and Caron Levis. Charles Santoso (he lives in Singapore) is the illustrator of Happy Hippo (2021), Feeling Grateful by Kobi Yamada (2022), Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson (2022), Finding Muchness by Kobi Yamada (2021), The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby (2020),  Dandy by Ame Dyckman (2019), Watch Out for Wolf! by Anica Mrose Rissi (2019), Peanut Butter & Santa Claus by Joe McGee (2019), Dragons Get Colds Too by Rebecca Roan (2019), Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime by Cate Berry (2018), No Boring Stories! by Julie Falatko (2018), The Snurtch by Sean Ferrell (2016), Peanut Butter & Aliens by Joe McGee (2017), I Don’t Like Koala by Sean Ferrell (2015), Peanut Butter & Brains by Joe McGee (2015). He’s also illustrated a number of middle grade novels, including Odder by Katherine Applegate, (2022) Willodeen by Katherine Applegate (2021), A Boy Called Bat series by Elana K Arnold (2018), and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (2017) - a New York Times bestseller.

Their latest collaboration is this one - Mighty Muddy us:

My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott illustrated by Sydney Smith

A quiet, tender, and profoundly moving celebration 

of intergenerational love. Kirkus Star review

"My Baba, my grandmother, was born in Poland, where she and her family suffered greatly during World War II. After the war she emigrated to Canada ... with my Dziadek (grandfather) (but) .... by the time I arrived in the world, my Dziadek had passed away. ... She didn't speak English very well, so much of the time we communicated through gesture, touch and laughter."

Baba is a terrific cook, and she has filled her kitchen and small 'chicken coop' home with food stored in jars and hanging from an assortment of places. Baba also knows worms are essential for the soil. They dig and increase water and air that get into the soil and also provide nutrients. She adds the worms to her the soil around her tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and the apple tree.

"I am a grown man now and (I) still pick up worms. My children do too. My Baba would be proud." 

This book is written from the heart - Baba is Jordan Scott's grandmother. He did indeed spend many happy hours with her when he was a small child. His observations and memories add a gentle layer of honesty to this story - read this quote:

"and there she is, hidden in the steam of boiling potatoes, dancing between the sink, fridge and stove. A hand holding a beetroot, a leg opening a cupboard, an elbow closing the fridge door."

Jordan and his grandmother care for her small garden but then Baba moves in with Jordan's family. She is growing old and frail and now it is his turn to bring her breakfast. When Jordan plants some cherry tomato seeds into a pot on her windowsill she reminds him to collect those all-important worms. And luckily is raining - so it is the perfect time. 

I think this book especially touched me because I also spent time with my precious grandmother and I hold all those memories of our time together in her tiny old flat very close to my heart. 

When you read this book don't rush past the title page (you can see the boy climbing into his dad's car just before dawn). And then on the imprint page we see them driving through the traffic again just before dawn. See inside Baba's Garden here. And Let's talk Picture Books have filmed the jacket reveal - WOW that's so special. Or you could try this link. 

I read a US review and they used the word oatmeal but the Canadian and Australian editions of this book use the word porridge. I shake my head in wonder that the US editor needed to make this change.

Sydney Smith is the 2024 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. I really hope he will be at the IBBY Congress in 2024 which will be held in Ottawa. I plan to be there (from Australia).

Awards for Baba's Garden:

• A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
• A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
• A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year
• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• A Horn Book Fanfare Book
• A Booklist Editors’ Choice
• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
• An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids

Sydney Smith’s evocative images, dwelling on the domestic riches and warmth of Baba’s chicken coop home, and the luxuriant garden that she – and the worms – have created, perfectly complement the simply told story of the boy’s memories of his time with his grandmother. In sketchy prose, Jordan Scott conjures a lively active woman, singing to herself in her own language, absorbed in cooking and preserving the food she has grown, and preparing it for the young boy that she cares for. This beautiful book – beautiful in its illustrations, its language and its tribute to a resilient woman ... Just Imagine

Looking at the illustrations in My Baba’s Garden, I feel I’ve entered her home and should whisper as I read this book. Sydney’s loose watercolor helps us see these memories through sometimes teary eyes or when the sun comes through a window and causes you to squint a bit. His expert use of lighting is dramatic and impactful, and so beautiful. In every scene, the light is like a friend, welcoming. Only Picture Books.

Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith have another picture book written together:

Read my previous post about Sydney Smith. And here is his webpage. Here you can see a photo of Baba and a very young Jordan. 

Footpath Flowers

Of course Baba's Graden is about intergenerational relationships, grandmothers, wisdom, growing old, love and care of family but if you are curious about worms and gardens try to find this book - it takes a fun look at worms for a preschool audience.

Here is the Storylinks review

This is a new book published in 2024 and it would be a good addition to a preschool. 

It has very vibrant illustrations and a fact page about worms at the back.

How to Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson illustrated by Owen Swan

Luckily I arrived at the school library where I volunteer in time to 'listen in' to the Teacher-Librarian sharing this new Australian book with a Grade Two class. It was a wonderful lesson where the Teacher-Librarian wove an intriguing story of how Jessie the elephant, in 1916, was moved from the zoo at Moore Park over to our famous Taronga Zoo on the other side of the harbour. The old zoo was too small and often subject to flooding. In total, 228 mammals, 552 birds and 64 reptiles were moved from Moore Park to the new site.

Here are some issues to consider:

• You are moving an elephant - they are heavy, slow and this one is fairly old (she arrived in Sydney in 1883 aged 8). She died in 1939.
• For the first part of the journey, Jessie will need to navigate busy city streets. How do you ensure her safety and the safety of the people who live in the city?
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge was built in 1932 many years after this move so there is no bridge over the harbour
• How can you transport a 4 ton elephant across a large stretch of water?
• The alternate route, avoiding the harbour crossing, would be a very long journey over five separate bridges

The end papers in this book show all the other animals traveling in cars and trucks - mostly in cages but they had to make a different plan for Jessie. She would walk to the harbour foreshore and then step onto a steamer boat. 

"Jessie stood as still as a statue across the harbour."

But moving from the boat to the shore meant Jessie had to step onto a pontoon. The library group where I heard this story are familiar with these as our inner harbour ferries stop at pontoons. Because they float on the water this one dipped with Jessie's weight but she bravely stepped across it and onto the shore. Jessie had reached the new zoo.

This is a perfect book to share with a class for so many reasons. It is a true story and young readers always respond well to these. The hero of the story is a huge elephant but it is also a story about problem solving. This book would also fit into any class unit about the history of Sydney and also a mapping topic because there is a splendid old map which is placed across a double spread. You could also share this book as part of a family history topic. I well remember visiting Taronga zoo with my grandparents. The photo I have shows everyone very dressed up for this special outing. The zoo opened in 1916 and my dad was born in 1923. He lived in Neutral Bay not very far from the zoo - I wonder if he ever saw Jessie?

With a group of older students you could also explore issues of animals in captivity and cruelty. In the past zoo visitors paid "a penny a turn (to) ride in a special saddle called a howah on Jessie's back as she walked in a slow circuit with the zoo grounds."

Read this interview with Kate Simpson (teachers note it has a terrific idea for a school excursion). I do expect to see this book listed as a CBCA Eve Pownall (Non Fiction) Notable and hopefully also a shortlisted title for 2025. Now for the library dilemma - where will you shelve this book? Yes it is a picture book but it is a true story. It is about elephants so it could go over to 599.6 but it is about Australian history so it could be 994.4 or perhaps it is about animals in captivity 636.967. Whatever you decide this book should be added to all Australian school library collections. 

... this beautifully illustrated narrative non fiction version is the perfect starting point for not only learning about that remarkable cross-city journey, but also delving more deeply into these fascinating creatures whose future is uncertain.  The Bottom Shelf

Background reading:

• Museums of Sydney
• Photos of Jessie
• Why the zoo needed to move
• Nine News scroll through photos of Jessie and other animals at the zoo

I also read this from the Sydney Morning Herald:

• It took years of logistics to work out how to relocate 228 mammals, 552 birds and 64 reptiles from Sydney’s first zoo at Moore Park to the new bush zoo – promising nothing but air between visitor and animal – at Taronga Park in 1916.
• Back in 1916, zookeepers were worried about the risks of moving ferocious and strong creatures through city streets. Even six years ago, Taronga Zoo was challenged by the logistics of how to move its giraffes.
• Sydney’s zookeepers decided to risk it with Jessie. She was a placid creature, “a docile and peaceful pachyderm” said to be loved by the generations of Sydney children who had ridden on her howdah.
• The trip that had taken years to plan took a little over 90 minutes.
• "Taronga" is an Aboriginal word that means "beautiful view." 

Other historical books about elephants in zoos:

To find heaps more fabulous resources take a look at all of these splendid posts about elephants from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything:

8th June International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos

12th August Elephant Day

12th August World Elephant Day

22nd September Elephant Appreciation Day

Other books illustrated by Owen Swan:

Here is the website for Kate Simpson. I loved her book about Gravity. 

The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival

From the opening lines of this book a reader will know this will be a story filled with raw emotions, pain and sadness but hopefully also, well, hope!

"This is no fairy tale. Not unless it's one of those really old fashioned ones, where basically a whole load of terrible stuff happens to some poor unsuspecting kid. ... But you know what? Even in those stories where people get ripped in half, chewed up and spat out, eventually there's a happy ending. And that's the difference, see? Because this is just my life, and nothing's guaranteed."

Will is a high school student. He lives with his dad who has lost his job and has been in a workplace accident. Mum left some time ago and she lives in a different part of the city with her new partner. There is no money which means there is very little food and certainly no extras - go back and read the title - Will IS wearing the wrong shoes. No, this does not mean they are not the latest fashion though of course that is true. But there is more to it. These shoes are wrong because they are old, second hand, and have a split in the sole. When it rains, and it seems to rain quite a lot in this story, Will's feet get wet. His feet are cold and Will is cold and he is also hungry. These shoes also mean he stands out at school and is an easy target for bullies and cruel comments. Will also has no school supplies, and his school bag is from years ago. His one consolation is that he loves to draw. But as the story opens Will bumps into the school bully. It is raining, his shoes are wrong and then Chris Tucker (the bully) grabs Will's bag and his precious notebook filled with drawings is thrown into a puddle. And this is only the first of a series of utterly dreadful events.

Will does have one true friend but Cameron has such different life circumstances. His family are well off. He lives in a large comfortable home, and he has plenty to eat and he has in fact just been given expensive new shoes. In an act of kindness Cameron offers his old shoes to Will, but Will cannot see this as a kindness. He thinks Cameron's offer comes from pity. Will is way too proud to accept charity and so this precious friendship is shattered.

Meanwhile Will gains some information about Chris Tucker. He sees him being recruited into a gang of older kids who commit crimes around the town such as shoplifting and probably worse. Chris suddenly changes his manner towards Will. He seems to understand what it is like to live on the 'wrong side of town'. But Will needs to be careful because Chris has his own purposes for befriending Will and before too long Will is going to find himself in a shop stealing something for Chris. 

Tom Percival does give his readers one tiny glimpse of hope early in this story when Will sees a huge and majestic owl. Later in his art class at school he draws this special creature and his art teacher pays Will a huge compliment.

"That's incredible,' says Mr Prince. 'Really, it's remarkable ...' His warm deep voice pauses ... Usually I'm about as happy to get a compliment as a cat is to be sprayed with cold water, but on this occasion I smile. He's right. It really is something special - even I can see that."

Then there is the good news about an art competition with a huge money prize but remember those opening sentences I shared at the start of this post. Perhaps real life is not actually about happy endings?

Books enable us to see into lives we have no awareness of, and they also can reflect our own situations back at us, making us feel seen. I hope that any child who reads this book and is currently struggling will take Will’s resilience, determination and hope to heart and will keep going, keep working as hard as they can to do the best that they can, despite the obvious unfairness of it all. Tom Percival in The Big Issue

You will hold your breath reading this book. In fact I had to keep putting it down and desperately hoping other terrible things would not happen to Will. I am so glad I have read this book. The writing is so powerful - I was hugely invested in Will. I wanted to help him, talk to him, comfort him and guide him to stop and think about his choices and reactions. I kept hoping he would reach out to the adults in his life - his dad (he thinks he needs to protect him); his mum and her partner; and his teachers especially his wonderful art teacher. 

Huge congratulations to Tom Percival on his first full length novel. Here is an interview with Books for Keeps. The interview says:  ‘Realistically I wanted it to be a good story, a good journey, for people to feel transported. I want them to feel Will is real, that they’ve met him and understand him a bit. I want people like Will to feel seen, for people to make an effort to understand them even if they’ve misjudged them, and I want the Wills to feel that they’re right to be angry, that things aren’t fair and shouldn’t be like that.’

I picked this book up from one of our large chain bookstores in the city. They have a display shelf as you walk into the children's book section with the new release titles. The bottom shelves are usually Middle Grade and Younger and then as you go up the shelves the titles move to Young Adult. The Wrong Shoes was on a low shelf BUT from my reading I'd like to suggest it is a Young Adult title - I would say 12+. 

It is, at times, quite a dark tale. I felt so desperately sorry for Will, and his emotional turmoil is so raw sometimes it's very moving. And yet there is always this glimmer of hope underneath. The hope of things turning out for the best in the end. The story ends in a positive manner, but gratifyingly without an unbelievable 'everything is brilliant' ending, making it a more realistic and therefore satisfying conclusion. The Bookbag (this is a fabulous review but she suggests ages 9+ but I think this book is way too confronting for that age.)

• ‘An extraordinary, powerful and moving book that has the potential to change lives.’ Hannah Gold
• ‘Every chapter is full of experience & empathy & most importantly, heart’ Phil Earle
• ‘Reading fiction is about walking in the shoes of people whose lives are very different to ours and allowing more readers to see themselves in stories. The Wrong Shoes is the perfect example of both – the right book at the right time’ Tom Palmer
• ‘A brilliant book – such a perfect marriage of words and illustrations and an important story told with real heart’ Christopher Edge
• ‘A hopeful, honest, big-hearted read. You’ll be rooting for the main character, Will, from the very first page . . .’ Clara Vulliamy

Here are some other books I recommend. They are all for readers aged 11+ but they have similar themes and tone:

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

Shelter

A different dog

Night bus Hero

As right as rain

I recognised the author Tom Percival on the cover of The Wrong Shoes.  I really enjoyed some of his previous picture book titles:

The Invisible

The River

The Sea Saw

Herman's Letter

IBBY Honour List 2024

See the full list of titles here

The 2024 Honour List includes 184 nominations in 52 different languages from 59 countries. Selected for the 2024 list are 68 entries in the category of Writing; 55 in the category Illustration; and 61 in the category Translation.  Our Australian titles included in this prestigious list for 2024 are:

Tiger Daughter

My Strange Shrinking Parents

Here are some other titles from English speaking countries:

Canada (English) Kim Spencer Weird Rules to Follow. Here is the Kirkus Star review.

 United States of America (English) Lisa Yee Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

Maizy Chen's last chance

Canada Qin Leng Trèfle  (English title Clover) Here is the Kirkus review and the one from Quill and Quire

United Kingdom Lydia Monks Adoette

Adoette

United States of America Gordon C. James I Am Every Good Thing

Other titles in English (many for Young Adult readers) are:

New Zealand Donovan Bixley A Portrait of Leonardo: The Life and Times of Leonardo da Vinci

United Kingdom (English) Joseph Coelho The Boy Lost in the Maze

New Zealand (English) Philippa Werry Iris and Me