Animalphabet by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Sharon King-Chai

There are so many things I love about this book.

1.  Every young child should own a special alphabet book - this could be the one that you select.
2.  Every young child should own a book filled with the marvels of the animal kingdom.
3.  Every young child should own a book with art that is colourful, beautiful and almost tactile and in this book there is the bonus of flaps to lift and cut-outs which reveal surprises.

I had a special animal alphabet book when I was small. It was nothing like Animalphabet but I loved it and returned to it often and even now more than 50 years later I still pick up this book.  I do hope that will be how your child feels about Animalphabet.

So many different people have illustrated books by the award winning author Julia Donaldson. What a thrill it must have been for Sharon King-Chai to be asked to work on this book. I've made an exciting discovery. Sharon King-Chai was born in Australia. Take a look at this very short publisher video which shows some pages from inside Animalphabet.

Image source: http://melsbookshelf.com/book-reviews/animalphabet-julia-donaldson/

I like the way the pages work like a guessing game in a question and answer format which invites a natural participation by young readers.  Here is a sample of the text:

Who is bigger than a deer?
An elephant!
Who is pinker than an elephant?
A flamingo!
Who can butt better than a flamingo?

Along with the animals there is an array of comparative adjectives - prettier, faster, pinker, muddier and shaggier. You could work with a class to add to this list and then encourage students to add this grammar device to their own writing.

Some of the animal choices might seem predicable to an adult but the youngest children won't notice this I'm sure. Take a look at this list

A = Ant
B = Butterfly
H = Hedgehog
I =Iguana
L = Ladybird
N = Nightingale
U = Umbrella Bird
V = Vole

Here are some of my favourite alphabet books.

Erica's elephant by Sylvia Bishop illustrated by Ashley King

TRONK!

The same book - three covers. Which one do you like? Tronk? This is a word with many meanings. The elephant who arrives cannot speak but somehow she can interpret the word tronk which the elephant uses in every situation.

Uncle Jeff left two years ago. Today Erica is turning ten and there is an elephant on her doorstep. She is delighted but also, as a practical girl, she wonders how she will feed and care for a full sized elephant in this small two-up, two-down townhouse. She discovers elephants need 150 kilograms of food each day. Uncle Jeff did leave Erica some money but after all this time she only has about 30 pounds left.

Luckily for Erica her elephant is a curiosity and kids and adults from around the town are happy to pay for rides and enjoy watching him performing tricks. Unluckily for Erica some people are not pleased to see an elephant living with a young girl. Her neighbour Miss Pritchett complains and then Amy Avis from the Department of Exotic animals arrives with a Notice of Elephant extraction.

How can Erica keep her elephant? Would he be better off in a zoo? Does he miss his herd?

The very best chapter of this book comes right at the end. Miss Pritchett, who is now 103, scolds Erica, who is now a zoology professor.

"You can't just stop there!' she said.
'Why not?' I asked.
'Because it isn't The end,' she scolded me.  ...
We argued about it for a while, and finally agree that I would tell you a little bit about what happened next in an Epilogue, which is a bit like a pudding - you don't need it, but it finishes things off nicely."

Working at our city Children's Hospital Book Bunker this week I spied Erica's elephant.  I knew the name Sylvia Bishop but I couldn't think why.  Now I discover she is the author The Bookshop Girl which I read a couple of years ago and enjoyed.

Here is an excellent Bookbag Review.

Here is an interview with Sylvia Bishop where she talks about elephants and being tall! You can see Sylvia and her illustrator Ashley talking about their book here.

The perfect partner to Erica's Elephant is Zoo boy by Sophie Thompson. An older child might also enjoy Tua and the Elephant. One more book that popped into my mind is Pocket Elephant by Catherine Sefton. This is an old book which is out of print (sadly) but it might be in a school library.

Aristotle by Dick King Smith illustrated by Bob Graham

I am collecting books to use with a group of students as a part of a new volunteer role. The school had a set of Aristotle so I bought a copy home to read.

I think this book will appeal to my group because it is about a witch (a popular topic with young readers) and a cute kitten. Even though this is a fairly simple story there will be plenty to discuss. My group are children who are just beginning to gain confidence with their reading. Their new focus is on comprehension - looking into the structure of a story, looking for the hints provided by the author and making links between scenes.

Here is an example of our discussion using just the first sentence of Aristotle:

"When Aristotle was a kitten, he did not know that cats have nine lives. His mother knew, of course. But I'm not going to tell him, she thought."

• How did his mother know about the concept of nine lives?
• Why do you think she decided not to pass this information onto her new kitten?
• Does the next line of text give you a hint?
• Do you agree with her decision - why or why not?

We will look at the structure of this story. The pattern of accidents and losing one life at a time and the way Dick King Smith uses this to create tension in the story. We will also list all the funny moments in this story and notice how Dick King Smith gives his reader lots of laughs and smiles.

Names to research:
We need to explore the name of the witch - Bella Donna
Who is the real Aristotle? How might this name be connected to the little kitten?

Why is Gripper a good name for the dog?

Vocabulary:

• tearaway
• foreseen
• cauldron
• lumbering
• embankment
• thatched roof
• ridge-pole
• lofty
• earthenware jug

Here is a set of teaching and drama ideas to extend your students and their understanding of this text.

It will also be good to talk about Dick King Smith himself. He is the author so many books I love such as The Finger Eater, Happy Mouse Day and The Hodgeheg.

One more interesting point to discuss. In America this book has a different cover and more importantly a different title.  Does the title need to be different for a different audience? Why add the words "the nine lives of ...".  Compare this with Let's get a Pup by Bob Graham. In Australia this book is simply called Let's get a Pup! but in America it is called "Let's get a Pup!" said Kate.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Image source: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/aboutnewbery/aboutnewbery

The year is 1947. Major political events are unfolding in India. This is called The Partition - The dividing of India into two countries - India and Pakistan.  Our story here is told through the eyes of Nisha. With her twin brother Amil, their father and grandmother they are forced to flee their home because as Hindus it is too dangerous for the family to stay in Pakistan. The drawing of a border line on a map has an almost unfathomable impact on all their lives.

The Night Diary is written as a diary by Nisha. She writes each night to her precious mother, who died just after the twins were born. Her diary is deeply personal and this is a powerful device which allows readers (like me) who may know nothing about these tumultuous times to gain small insights into both this historical period and into the effect on one family.

Nisha longs to ask her doctor father questions but she finds talking very hard. Without much explanation Papa tells the children they are leaving their home. The other member of their family is the cook - a man named Kazi. He and Nisha have a beautiful relationship. He has been a part of this family all their lives but Kazi is Muslim and so he must stay behind.

"So as of today, the ground I'm standing on is not India anymore. And Kazi is supposed to live in one place and we're supposed to leave and find a new home. Is there a Muslim girl sitting in her house right now who has to leave her home and go to a new country that's not even called India? Does she feel confused and scared, too?"

Adding to Nisha's confusion her mother was also Muslim. Naturally Nisha feels she and Amil can follow both religions but of course society makes no concessions to this situation.

Here is an abbreviated conversation between Nisha, Amil and a young Muslim girl who lives next door to their uncle Rashid.

"So you're not supposed to like us,' Amil said"
"And you're not supposed to like me because I'm Muslim,' Hafa said."
"But it's so strange,' I said. I couldn't explain the aching I felt in my stomach when I watched her, like all I had ever wanted was to be friends with this girl."
"All my friends left the village. They were Hindu and Sikh,' she said, glancing down again."


Here are some reviews with more plot details:

• School Library Journal
• Randomly Reading

I wonder if The Night Diary is available for young readers in India and Pakistan? I certainly hope it is.

The food references in The Night Diary sound delicious and luckily there is a comprehensive glossary so you can read about dishes such these desserts -  kheer (a sweet pudding), gulab Jamun (deep fried milk powder with rosewater syrup) and rasmalai (soft cheese patties).

Here is a set of discussion questions you could use for a book club. Here is a video where the author talks about her process of writing this book. Along with the video you can also see quotes from a range of reviews written about this powerful story. You can read an interview with Mr Schu. Penguin have produced a very comprehensive set of teachers notes. You can listen to the first pages of the book here.  I purchased this book at a recent book sale so when it was announced as a Newbery honor book I was delighted. I had no idea it was even in contention. I picked this book because I do enjoy reading about events in recent world history and the cover and blurb looked interesting.

A huge topic perhaps for another day - what age would enjoy this book?  Reviewers can't seem to agree. Penguin say 8-12, Kirkus say 11+, The School Library Journal say Grades 5-8.  For me, I think this book would appeal to mature and sensitive readers aged 10+.

Thanks go to Ms Yingling for her list of other titles on the topic of the partition of India. Here are two that would suit readers aged 10+ who enjoy The Night Diary.

On the ground during Partition, there was incredible inter-communal violence and mass deportations and huge movements of peoples, probably the biggest in history. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were displaced during the division of India, which makes it the largest mass migration in human history.

Source: https://www.historyhit.com/why-did-the-partition-of-india-happen/

I would follow The Night Diary with Shooting Kabul also by NH Senzai, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison

Take a close look at the beautiful cover of A Pinch of Magic. Each of these items are important in the story - a rat, nesting dolls, a carpet bag, a clock, a tower and a small rowing boat. You can also see the moon and some crows. Watch this trailer which uses the cover to promote the book and you will see the third important magical object - a mirror.

I love this cover and the art looked familiar so I looked up Melissa Castrillon and discovered she designed the cover for Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms a book I loved. She has also done a new cover for The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean which is a book I must talk about on this blog - it blew me away when I read it years ago. This edition is due for release this month.

My Advanced Reader copy of A Pinch of Magic did not have a map - I love maps in books. I need to look for the 'real' copy of this book when it arrives in shops next week because I discovered, from Michelle Harrison's twitter posts, that she has included a map.  She even drew it herself!

Even though there is a formula underlying the plot of this fantasy there are also plenty of twists and turns. On Betty's thirteenth birthday Granny shows the girls three magical objects. A carpet bag that allows you to fly to a different place, a set of nesting dolls which can be used for invisibility and a mirror to talk to someone a bit like a video link. The way the nesting dolls work is quite intriguing.

Betty, Charlie (Charlotte) and Fliss (Felicity) Widdershins live on the island of Crowstone. Before I go further widdershins, as Michelle Harrison explains in a letter to her readers, means to go in the wrong direction or anti clockwise, and it is considered unlucky.

Bad luck does seem to plague this family. Their mother is dead, their father is in jail, and the family curse means they are all trapped forever on this small island.

The islands nearby have disturbing names - Torment, Lament and Repent. The jail is on the island of Repent and it is dominated by a tall tower. Over a century ago a young witch jumped to her death from this tower. Over the course of this story our three girls, with their special gifts, will discover exactly how their lives are connected with the story of the young witch Sorsha Spellthorn and why crows also play an important and disturbing role.

Michelle Harrison creates an eerie atmosphere in her book. I felt as though I was deep in the fog that surrounds the islands, I was touching the jail walls and feeling the carving done by anguished prisoners, and I could smell the spilled beer in the Poacher's Pocket - the inn owned by the Widdershins family. The story of the girls, especially Betty, as they try to break the curse is interwoven with the long ago story of Sorsha. You need to be patient with this book but as with all good fairy tales, after all dangers faced by the sisters who are determined to set right the wrongs of the past, it is good to know "they all lived happily every after".

Here are some reviews with more plot details:

• Books for Keeps
• Jemima Pett
• The Book Bag
• Love Reading 4 Kids

Read more about Michelle Harrison on her web site.

Some people were lucky when they were sent this book to review by Simon and Schuster. It came with one of three different ARC covers and a small bag of treasures. 

I would follow A pinch of Magic with Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin, Nightbird by Alice Hoffman, and A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd.

In this darkly believable world of magic and myth, Betty is a likeable, funny and feisty protagonist, full of courage and determination. This riveting tale of witchcraft, love and betrayal will have readers on the edge of their seats, as the sisters race against time to try to break the curse. BookTrust

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman

Begin with the first words of this book:

Once there were three bears ...

Is this the familiar fairy tale? No of course not - these bears are called Dash, Charlie and Theo and they live beside the sea and love to play in the sand. On returning from their time at the beach the three bears take advantage of the fact that their mother is away from home. There is a glorious jar of honey on the mantle. Look at the title page - the three have been longing to grab this and now there is an opportunity. Struggling to reach the 'forbidden' jar they accidentally knock their mother's precious blue shell off the shelf. It is smashed in to small fragments.

"Afraid of their mother, who, after all was a bear, the three fled from their house down to the beach where they huddled behind their boat."

Look at the words here. Fled - they are terrified of the consequences. Huddled - you can feel these three youngsters trembling.

What will they do? Go home, face their mother and admit they were naughty or follow Dash's suggestion and try to find a replacement shell.  Here is another beautifully placed word:

"And so just like that, the sly bears slide their boat into the sea and set sail."

Sly- they know they have done the wrong thing but they think they can cover their tracks and mother will never know!

The three meet an old salty who advises them to head to a small island shaped like a hat. "If you look in the right place, I reckon you'll find it."  I love the idea that they sail "further than they had ever gone before."  This truly is an adventure. Maybe it will be even more scary than facing up to their mother!

Image source: https://bookriot.com/2015/01/09/one-look-favorite-picture-book-art-2014/

There is no shell on the island even though they explore everywhere including a scary cave. If you were using this book with an older group of children it would be interesting to draw a feelings graph because at this point in the story emotions spill over and the three start to apportion blame. They don't notice that a wild storm is approaching. Now they need to forgive and forget and work out how to survive.

Look at this line - it made me smile:

"They didn't care whose fault it was anymore, they were all in the same boat."

When you pick up this book take time to look at the end papers. They are perfect.

I've been collecting images of books I want to read and this was one in my file. I found it in a library yesterday but as usual I can't remember why or where it was listed.

Three Bears in a Boat was published in 2014. Watch this video where David Soman talks about his book - it will make you laugh.

There is so much more to this book which the wonderful Betsy Bird discovers and explains in her review for the School Library Journal. I would not have recognised references to Huckleberry Finn, Moby Dick and I have no idea about the third boat which Betsy thinks keen children's literature fans will recognise from the checkerboard, lantern and toy sailing boat. I am not sure about Betsy's idea about the name of the boat - Ursula K - I think this refers to ursula meaning little bear. Although the placement of K does support her idea that it is a reference Ursula K LeGuin.

I love her idea of comparing Three Bears in a Boat with Where the Wild things are. Both are about journeys and adventures and explorations without parents but it is the words at the end of each that deserve special attention.

Where the Wild Things are: "and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him and it was still hot."
Three bears in a boat: "Then she bought them inside for a warm supper. But they didn't get any dessert."

I think you could have a wonderful discussion with older children about these endings. Talking about concepts like consequences, punishments, honesty, responsibility, truth and love.

I would pair this book with with Humphrey's Bear and Once upon a small Rhinoceros. You could also compare Three Bears in a Boat with the stories by Ursula Dubosarsky in Honey and Bear.

As I read this book I kept remembering a small book from my former school library which would be great to pair with Three Bears in a Boat. I looked in the online catalogue but could not locate it. I am sad now to discover this book has been removed from their collection along with many other special and important titles. I do hope I can find this one in another library. This is a truly special book that should be shared with young children.

There are page turns where you simply sit for a moment and linger, looking at the new vista before you until you are ready to read the words on the page. Waking Brain Cells


Humorous and intelligent—and with watercolor seascapes so luminous that readers will want to jump in—this is a book to be treasured for years to come. Kirkus Star Review

Just Dance by Patricia MacLachlan

If you want to find the love of your life, go to the Hideaway Cafe in Cheyenne, Wyoming. When a tall cowboy with a ponytail comes up to you and takes your hand, you don't have to speak. It's better not to speak, actually. 
Just dance.

Mum was an opera singer (see music list below) but then she fell in love with a cowboy who loves Willie Nelson and Roy Orbison. The family live on a farm in Wyoming. There are two kids - Sylvie and her brother Nate. Now mum sings to the chickens and cows and she sings every day in the shower. Sylvie worries her mum is missing her stage career. This has become especially concerning as her mum's old opera partner James is coming to perform and he has invited Sylvie's mum Melinda to come to the show. Sylvie worries her mum might want to leave and return to her stage career leaving them all behind.

Sylvie loves to write. It is the summer holidays so her teacher, who is married to the town sheriff, suggests Sylvie could write a column for the town newspaper. It is called Ludolf's Log and is usually written by Sheriff Ludolf. Spelling and writing are not his forte.

Here are parts of their conversation:

"This is a contract to hire you to write Ludolf's Log this summer."
"You're going to pay me? For writing?"
"Yes. You'll cover the town, like a reporter. You can ride your horse sometimes. Or ride with me."
"You can write the log any way you want."
"Could I write poetry?
"You can do whatever you want. Do it your way. Maybe we can call it Sylvie's Summer Log. All righty then!"

All righty then is a trade-mark saying of the Sheriff. I love it! His real name is Rudolph Ludoff. His mother called him Luddy Buddy. Sylvie decides the best name is Bud and there are smiles all round. And yes Sylvie does write poetry. One day doing their rounds of the area she and the Sheriff come across some boys lighting a fire:

Boys too young to say
Build a fire on windswept day
Sent home, ponder deeds


Have you ever thought to look for threads in the books by Patricia MacLachlan?

Music - Just Dance; Fly Away; The Truth of Me; Sarah Plain and Tall
Dogs - The Poet's Dog; White fur flying; The Truth of Me; Waiting for the Magic; Just Dance
Poetry - The Poet's Dog; Just Dance; Fly Away
Farms and rural communities - Fly Away; Just Dance; Sarah Plain and Tall
Seeking answers to questions - Just Dance; The Truth of Me; Sarah Plain and Tall
Family relationships - Sarah Plain and Tall; Just Dance; The Truth of Me; Fly Away

It is truly special to have a book that deals with small and very personal concerns in an honest way.
In this book, as with all her titles, you will find the lyrical language we've come to expect from Patricia MacLachlan. Here is an example. One of the people Sylvie meets is Tinker. He has a pet coyote and he also writes haiku. They become instant friends.

Tinker: "His eyes were sharp and steady. And a blue I had no name for."
Bernie the coyote: "I slowly turned my head and looked into the very close, yellow eyes ... There were black spots like marbles in the middle of the yellow. He was so close."

The family and community relationships in Just Dance are warm and reassuring. There are no big plot moments or catastrophes. This is just a beautiful quiet book. Sylvie observes her community, makes new and surprising friends and discovers something important about her mother and about love.

Music in this book:
Un bel di by Puccini  Page 7
Caro Nome by Verdi  Page 16
Casta diva by Bellini  Page 22
Plaisir d'amour  Page 86
Con te partino  Page 97

A quiet tale about finding your own voice. Kirkus