My name is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

This is such an obvious idea but I am almost certain this is the first picture book I have seen with this message.  My Name is Elizabeth is the title and the theme of this book.  Elizabeth simply wants to be called Elizabeth - not Lizzie, or Beth or Liz or even Betsy.  Elizabeth loves her name.  She is proud to be named after the queen and so using body language and facial expressions she works hard to convince everyone that her name is ELIZABETH.  In fact her name is Elizabeth Alfreda Roxanne Bluebell Jones "but you may call me Elizabeth."

The timing of this book is perfect for me as I ask our new Kindergarten children their names each week in the library.  Many are quite confused by all the names they have and will tell me the whole name, others can only whisper a tiny abbreviated name which I have to translate onto our formal barcode list.  Names for young children can be confusing.

This is a simply and perhaps slight book but it is nevertheless quite delightful. Here is a review.

As an extra coincidence I really wanted Elizabeth to be my middle name when I was a child.

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Tumtum and Nutmeg fans will want to grab this book, Secrets at Sea, with both hands and dive into the lives of these adventurous mice.

Helena and her family live in New York city and can traced their family origins back to the original Dutch settlers.  The mice have adopted each new family over the generations.

Helena and her surviving sisters Louise and Beatrice are named after the daughters of Queen Victoria in England.  By a lovely coincidence Victoria is about to celebrate her diamond jubilee just as Queen Elizabeth did last year.  Vicky, Alice and their mother and father have perished.  Helena is in charge of her sisters and her tearaway brother Lamont.  The upstairs family - the Upstairs Cranstons have decided to travel across the oceans from New York to London in order to find a partner for their elder daughter Olive.  It is all about "giving Olive her chance".  Olive sadly is a fairly plain girl while her younger sister Camilla is considered a beauty.

There are so many quaint and delicious touches in this book.  The mice wear only fur around the house but at home as a family they dress in human clothes fashioned from scraps left from the human sewing basket.

"Louise and Beatrice and I were up there half the night every night, bringing down snippets of satin and serge that had fallen from the dress makers' scissors. And ribbon ends. And any spool of thread, rolled under their worktables. And all the pins and needles worked into the carpet. Because you never know what yo';ll need.  We think ahead, we mice."

Helena decides to seek advice from an elderly relative.  Using a crystal ball (a marble) Anunt Fannie Fenimore tells her the family must travel with the upstairs Cranstons on the ship to England. This is terrifying news because mice and water do not mix.  In fact it was an accident with a rain barrel that led to the drowning of three family members.  The four siblings travel to the ship inside the family trunks and once on board they discover all the other mice who are also travelling with families bound for England.  Nigel, their charming cockney Cabin Steward, takes the four mice to the dining hall on their first night.

"On the far side we got the surprise of our lives.  There sat easily a hundred and fifty mice, at three or four long tables - yardsticks, supported by alphabet blocks. ... Young mice waiters with perky black bow ties bustled along the diners, stepping neatly over their tails, serving the soup course. ... Before we knew it we'd been seated down the end of a yardstick. Thimbles of a clear soup were set before us.  As it turned out, we kept just a course behind the humans in the dining saloon above."

The details in this book are all perfect.  The food, the world seen through the eyes of a mouse, life on board the ship, the observances of rank and privilege, and the insights into the personalities of all the characters. I especially loved the food!

I wonder why illustrators get such small billing on the front cover of novels.  The illustrations in this book are so important and so well drawn that even in black and white pencil you almost feel you can stroke the fur of each mouse.  The final illustration of Helena and her partner skimming the dance floor is magical.  You can read more here and see all the illustrations.

Whimsical language, sure characterization, unflagging adventure, even romance—all seen through Helena's relentlessly practical beady little eyes.

Violet Mackerel's possible friend by Anna Branford illustrated by Sarah Davis

Often a book series will start out with a terrific first book and then they fade away. I find sequels can sometimes be disappointing but this is not the case with Violet Mackerel.  This new installment Violet Mackerel's Possible friend is just as good as the first.

Violet has moved to a new house and she knows a young girl her age lives next door.  Violet is a worrier.  She would love a new friend but at the same time she fears rejection.  On the day of the move Violet notices an interesting knot in the wood of the fence that divides the two houses. Violet pushes the knot and it falls out.  At first she is dismayed.  The garden next door is so very, very neat.  Surely the owners will be cross with her for making this hole - even though it was not intentional.

As I said, Violet is a worrier but she is also a problem solver.  She has a brilliant idea.  Violet has a theory that if "two people give each other a small thing, they might end up becoming very good friends."  If you have read the first book in this series you will know Violet loves small things and she is a girl with lots of theories.  So Violet writes an apology letter and wraps a small thing and places the note and the gift in the fence hole.   She quickly receives a reply :

"Hello Violet, Thank you for the lovely bell.  Don't worry about the hole.  I am not cross and nobody has noticed except me.  Here is a present for you too.  Would you like to come over tomorrow morning? From Rose."

Yes, the girl next door is called Rose - have you guess that she might be the perfect friend for Violet?

This is a simple book with a very warm heart.  The whole collection of Violet Mackerel books are a very welcome addition to my school library.  As a bonus they are Australian.  Violet has her own web site.  This book is perfect for young readers who are just beginning with chapter books.  I especially loved the dolls house the two girls play with - I have a life-long fascination with dolls houses and this one is very special.  I suggest you look for the series of books about Violet Mackerel you will not be disappointed.

Millicent and Meer by Richard Byrne

For some reason that is not very clear to me there are a number of younger children in my school who are wild about Meerkats so I am sure Millicent and Meer will be a popular book choice.

One day when Millicent is busy building sandcastles a big wooden box lands beside her.  Inside there is a little animal.  Millicent sees the word kat - problem solved the animal is a cat and she also sees the word Meer - another problem solved his name is Meer.

Millicent takes Meer home but is behaviour is very "uncatty" and her family begin to despair.  Then Meer meets a real cat and together they solve the mystery of his identity and in the process find the meerkats at the zoo.  The ending is very satisfactory for all involved.

This is not major picture book but the illustrations are very special.  I was not at all familiar with Richard Byrne but I will now seek out some other books by this talented UK author/illustrator.

Under a silver moon by Anne Fine

This is a perfect early chapter book.  I am always on the look out for short (this book has 58 pages) illustrated (this book has brilliant line drawings by Lotte Klaver) and engrossing stories which can be read by young students in Grades 1 to 3.

As it says on the back cover "In a hot land far, far away, two baby boys were born under the same silver moon."  These two boys, however, could not be more different.  One is the son of the hard working gardener.  His name is Akil.  The other is the Sultan's son. His name is Haroun, Lord of the rolling desert Sands, Mirror of Stars and Heir to all Gifts and Wonders.

In scenes reminiscent of the Prince and the Pauper - Haroun and Akil become playmates and for a short time they enjoy an idyllic childhood then one day they are separated.  Akil must work with his father in the gardens and learn his trade and Harou must learn to live like a sultan.  For Haroun this mainly involves sitting around, lying around and eating.  Over time Haroun becomes fat and quite ill from inactivity.  It is the wise gardener and his son Akil who devise a miraculous cure for the young Sultan.

"Somewhere in your palace garden ... hidden under the stony soil, there lies a magic key. A spell is on it, and the moment this key lies in your son's hand, he will be cured of all his pains....There is one problem. Only the person who finds the key can have the good health it brings."

This book feels like an old fairy tale or fable - perhaps an ancient Chinese folk tale because it contains simple and important wisdom about the choices we make in our lives.

After reading Under a silver moon you might also enjoy Kumiko series.  Here is a detailed review.

Care of Henry by Anne Fine illustrated by Paul Howard

Using a check list to make an important decision is at the heart of this beginning chapter book called Care of Henry by master story teller Anne Fine.

Hugo has to find someone to stay with, while his mum is in hospital having a baby - the baby will be his new sister.  Hugo meets a man who comes to inspect their house which is for sale. The man has a check list of requirements for his new home and he shows this to Hugo. This is an inspirational idea to Hugo - he makes a check list of all the things he needs so he can decide where to stay.

• Food - what will you feed me?
• Entertainment - can I watch my favourite shows on television?
• Bathtime - can I have it deep with lots of bubbles?
• Strictness - can I skip school and visit mum at the hospital?
• Care of Henry - can I bring my dog, what will you feed him and can he sleep in my room?

Hugo asks his Granny - surprisingly she gets four crosses and one tick.  Mrs Mariposa next door gets four ticks and one cross because Henry is not allowed to come. Uncle Jack gets three ticks, one cross - Henry cannot stay in his apartment, and one wobbly tick because the food sounds a little odd.  How will Hugo decide where to stay?

This is a terrific little book for our Grade 3 students as they look at texts using persuasion   Our library copy was very worn out but just last week I found a new copy with a smart new cover. I recommend this book for all young dog lovers.

I discovered a UK theatre production of Care of Henry. Listen to an audio sample here.  Anne Fine is the author of another very special book -  Bill's New Frock.

Dominic by William Steig

You may have read my first post about Dominic - written when I was about half way through this joyous book.

There is just so much action in Dominic I do not think I can do it justice by trying to retell the plot. I will say though, all the way through I keep thinking of the little homily "one good turn deserves another" as a fitting way to sum up the adventures of this special dog.

Instead I am making a list of some of the absolutely delicious words in this book.  The vocabulary in this story is wonderfully rich and vibrant.  I cannot resist words like :

• rakish
• benign
• aromatic forests
• exultation
• rekindled
• prosperous
• pious messages
• illuminating
• resplendent
• silent tableau
• gratifying
• verified
• cudgels
• festooning
• pauper

Finally here is a description of the wedding feast "cranberries with walnut sauce, grass a la francaise, cheese souffle with acorns, ... bones marinated in Burgundy, oat fritters, pate of sunflower seeds, stuffed watermelon,daisy salad, clover jelly and orange doodle. ... mushroom beer, ale made from nuts and alfalfa, honeysuckle juice, sweet and sour water, bark brandy."  This reminds me of the treats served in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

I highly recommend Dominic - it would especially be a wonderful book to read aloud to your own children.