Egg by Clare Atkins illustrated by Harrison Vial

 

This is my favourite type of picture book – a book with layers of meaning which can be enjoyed by a very young child but which will also challenge older children to think more deeply about the allegorical meaning. 

Clare Atkins said: "We sat on the grass in the sun and brainstormed themes we were both passionate about: migration, dislocation, racism, colonialism, difference, climate change, culture, history, authorship and many more."

With an older group it would be good to pair this book with The Island by Armin Greder (for older readers) or Scary Bird by Michel Streich. 

There are huge themes in this book - migration, racism and discrimination, fear of the unknown, climate change and refugees. 

This is such an interesting book. It has a deeper story than the one implied by pastel colour palette and the cartoon-style eggs. I do like the tactile cover and the story clue which is revealed when the cover is stretched out in full, and we can see a tiny island covered in trees. The end papers are based on the gentle movement of the ocean, and we see this image used to bookend the story firstly with the arrival of one ‘egg’ and later when lots of seeds are on the way. 

The egg conversation, written with indented lines and no speech marks, is innovative. I like the different fonts – a formal one for the narrator and informal one for the Egg residents.

Using a simple line, the illustrator manages to give each of the central characters of Little Egg and Strange Egg a distinct personality. The way the flashback page is framed with the commentary eggs in the corner will help readers to identify these are scenes from the past. I love the character of Little Egg and the way he/she/it shows kindness. The smallest egg is a true hero, and the silence of Strange Egg speaks volumes. 

I do wish we knew why the shade trees disappeared from the island – is this meant to be about global warming?  SO much to discuss with your students. 

• What is the egg? Or did you think this was a potato from the start?
• Does this make you think about the seed of hope and new ecological sustainability? 
• Is this book about finding a source of hope and difference in a parched same-same world? 
• Is the new egg an asylum seeker washed in from afar, the same but suspected of being different? 
• Who are the other eggs? Are they closed-minded adults or environmentally irresponsible citizens or perhaps politicians or just people with fear of the unknown or fearful of change? 

Paperbark words interview with Clare Atkins: I wanted Egg to be a book that could appeal to readers on multiple levels. Younger readers might giggle at the funny talking eggs and enjoy seeing Brave Egg and Strange Egg’s friendship develop and change. Older readers might pick up on the themes of migration, racism and discrimination, fear of the unknown, climate change and refugees. Parents or teachers could whiz through reading it to kids, doing funny egg voices, or take their time and discuss the ideas behind it.

Egg is a 2023 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable Picture Book. 

Take a look here to see work by Adelaide illustrator Harrison Vial.

Bookseller blurb: A truly unique picture book about a newcomer arriving to an island inhabited by superstitious eggs. This thought-provoking story raises gentle questions about displacement, environment, xenophobia and climate refugees. When something strange washes up on the eggs' island, they are scared. It looks like them. But different. What if it hatches? What if there are more of them? Most of the eggs hope the newcomer will float back to where it came from, but one little egg is not afraid. Can their friendship prove there is nothing to fear?

What to say when you don't know what to say by Davina Bell illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper

There are so many big emotions in this deceptively simple book: grief, loss, sadness, loneliness, friendship, new relationships, fairness, identity, embarrassment, fear, courage, sharing and change. The cover perhaps will lead you to think this is a book for a very young child but really it is for all ages. The back cover says this book is: "a warm and whimsical guide to negotiating life's little moments and big emotions with empathy, kindness and words from the heart."  I am not so sure about 'whimsical' - there is so much power in this book - it is way more than just whimsy. 

I love the tactile cover, the handwritten style font used through-out, the way the cover illustration stretches front and back and the sweet pastel illustrations which invite closer study. After spending time looking at and touching the cover the first thing you will notice are the brilliant end papers which gently reinforce the theme of this book. 

I so enjoyed following the story of each child, glimpsing each situation and then putting each story together rather like a jigsaw puzzle. Many of the illustrations are invested with very real emotion such as when the little girl wets her pants (my heart broke) and also when the cat died. The perspective on each page calls for readers to use their inference skills - readers of this book, no matter what their age, need to stop, think and expand each image to work out exactly what has happened and what might happend next. I found myself turning back and forwards following each child.  This use of a non-linear narrative will ensure a great deal of discussion as this book is shared by an adult reading to a young child. 

As I said, in this picture book you really need to ‘read’ the images. You have to look very closely at what is happening in each one to fully understand the meaning behind the words. In doing so, you also notice lots of little narrative threads that are woven throughout. Each individual character is created and developed quite subtly, and each has a very distinct personality. The life situations are also highly relatable. This is a book to linger over and to re-read and to enjoy with a child sitting side by side.

With older students it would be good to talk about the title - 'what to say' - but so much is unsaid in this book - we view the personal tragedies and then view the kindness of others - and often not one word is spoken. 

It's a collection of situations and experiences which are depicted visually along with a response that might be appropriate. The approach demonstrates kindness at all times. Kids' Book Review

'A soothing story with gentle tips on how to respond with compassion and care when life gets tricky ... The ideal book to gently encourage young readers to open up about their feelings' Sydney Morning Herald

What to say when you don't know what to say was a 2023 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) notable title. 

The way you need to follow each individual story in this book reminded me of Clive Eats Alligators and the sequels but of course this book is way deeper.

I also thought of these this book - but again it is just funny and doesn't have the emotional depth of What to say when you don't know what to say.

A better companion book would be this wonderful wordless book which you do need to add to your library:

Take a look at other books by Davia Bell. And here are books illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper. It is lucky I am talking about What to Do ...  because a second book was released just yesterday!

If I was a Banana by Alexandra Tylee illustrated by Kieran Rynhart

It would such fun to tell your class - 'tomorrow we will read a book called If I was a Banana'.  I can hear the giggles and gasps.

Here are a few text quotes:

"If I was a ladybug, I don't know how I would feel. To be that small could be a little frightening. And then, who knows, maybe I would be a very brave, bright ladyybug, and fly very high without a care in the world."

"If I was an elephant, I think I would have to be very careful where I put my feet. I guess you would get used to that."

This is another terrific book from Gecko Press (New Zealand).  It was published in 2016 but back then Scholastic Australia were the agents for Gecko and many of their titles were included in their International Titles standing order so I am hoping that this book might be found in your local or school library. It is also on the NSW Premiers Reading Challenge (K-2 code 8426).

I can see from the copy I borrowed from a library that this has been a popular title. Since it arrived in the library (they use date due slips) between 2017 and 2023 it has been borrowed 30 times. That is especially amazing when I tell you this book is shelved with other books about Philosophy at Dewey [100]. This library for students aged 4-7 so I don't imagine they regularly browse the nonfiction shelves - especially not the philosophy section. Another terrific thing about this book is the way the Teacher-Librarian has labelled her books with Sustainable Development Goals.  She has put the sticker for #5 - gender equity on this book. I am in awe of the work ethic of this Teacher-Librarian - she has put a huge amount of effort into labelling books in her library with stickers for each of the 17 goals. 

Drawn in a mostly realistic style with occasional touches of anthropomorphic exaggeration, the illustrations appear to have been created in pencil and oil pastel. Multiple sizes, from vignettes to double-page spreads, and unusual perspectives provide interest and rhythm. Rich textures and muted colors add to the dreamy quality of the text, which has a thoughtful, reflective tone throughout. Kirkus

This lovely exercise in imagination would be a brilliant classroom project for young writers, with lots of room for inventive art activities, too. Beautiful production and thick creamy paper gives the book a nice 'gifty' feel too, so it's perfect for special birthdays or christenings to keep and cherish. At home, it will make an ideal bedtime read, sparking conversation while being calm and dreamy enough to lull little ones to sleep. Book Trust

Alexandra Tylee and Kieran Rynhart are both from New Zealand. You can see the art from this book here. 

Companion books:

Big and Small and in-between

Don't forget

Things to Look forward to

This thing called Life

Silence

When You're Older by Sofie Laguna illustrated by Judy Watson

 

"Baby brother, all you do is sleep and drink milk. Mama says I have to wait until you're older."

"When you're older ... "

• we will ride our bikes through the jungle (there might snakes)
• we'll hide in a cave with bats!
• we will build castles on the seashore
• read books about dragons, crowns, and swords
• then we will climb aboard a boat and sail the high seas - who knows where we might end up or what dangers we will face - but if there is any danger I will save you. (we are sure to see whales and eventually reach the artic circle).

There are some very special book design features to notice when you pick up this book. The way the cover stretches front and back, the way the colours of the older brother’s cloak are repeated on his wooden blocks, and looking closely you will see small objects which allow reader to anticipate or later reflect on the story such as the paper boat, the galleon seen in the painting and the sword. 

Then we turn to the half title page which shows the boy making his cloak and crown. On the title page he marches into action. This is a boy with a well-developed imagination (perhaps he has a mum and dad who read to him). The repeated refrain helps maintain the momentum of the story. 

Sofie Laguna includes a rich vocabulary with words such as turrets; spurting; binoculars; churning. The variety of landscapes add a richness to the story – jungle, beach, arctic and wild ocean waves. And in every illustration the action moves from left to right - like the motion of time moving forward to a time when the baby is indeed older. 

From the endpapers, you get a further glimpse into the wonderful world of this big brother’s imagination. Look for intertextual elements in the endpapers – Peter Pan and Jungle Book. You are sure to also think of Elmer and Max from Where the Wild Things Are. Scroll down through this blog post by Judy Watson to read more about her design of the end papers. 

The digital collage pieces created by Judy Watson have different textures. As we turn the pages, the colours become murkier adding to a sense of adventure in the outdoor settings the older sibling is imagining. Notice the way the dog has a very flat and plane shape and texture - linking him back to the reality of the opening scene. Other special images to linger over are the water and shimmering ocean, the waterspout of the whales, the white of the glacier and the wild dogs racing across the page. I also love the way the binoculars are used to give a completely different page design. The reader/viewer is given a close up of a seal and a distant lighthouse. You might also go back and find the repeated patchwork quilt and see how it is used in many of the scenes.

After reading this book go back and look even more closely for the important details - the dog’s collar changes colour to show the changes in time and humorous elements such as the crabs pinching the chips as the boys scare the seagulls away. And the washing hanging on the clothesline while the Inuit family cook their meal. There's also a hint of the Northern Lights.  

This book would be a wonderful gift when a family are expecting a new sibling - gift this to a big brother before his own new baby brother arrives. Sofie Laguna wrote this book for her own sons.

When you're older was a 2023 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable Picture Book.

As he watches his baby brother sleep, the little boy begins to dream with his eyes open as he imagines the adventures that the two will have together “when you’re older’.  From riding their bikes through a jungle whose branches are festooned with snakes to being marooned in Arctic wastes, they will have the most magnificent adventures together… each bigger and better and more daring than the last. And each having them side by side through thick and thin. The Bottom Shelf

Little Robot by Ben Hatke

 

The opening scenes of this graphic novel or toon are wordless. We see a highway, trucks and then move in closer to see one truck in particular. A carton falls off the truck when it goes over a bump in the road. The box falls off a bridge and into the river below. The wordless scenes continue into Chapter One. A young girl climbs out of the window of a trailer house. She plays at the park and then heads down to the river where she has stashed her toolkit. She finds a carton and when she opens it, she discovers something very surprising - a robot! He's been slightly damaged from the fall out of the truck so the girl, remember she has set of tools, sets about some repairs and before too long the little robot, who looks a little like R2D2 is up on his feet and able to walk. 

Meanwhile back at the factory the computer sensors ring out alarms because one of the units - UNIT 00012 - is missing. The orders are to locate and recover.

I hope this plot is making you think of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.

Of course, things are heading for a showdown. The sinister robot charged with finding UNIT00012 is coming. The little girl has truly made a special friend so what will happen when the retrieval robot arrives? Problem solving, ingenuity and true heroism are at the heart of this story. Oh, and there is a lot of 'boom', 'zom', 'clink', 'clang', 'chonk', 'pling', 'ploop', and 'jonk' to enjoy along the way as well as lots more robots!

This delightful, nearly wordless graphic novel portrays a kid with gumption enough to take on big business and smarts enough to advise the factory’s fix-it robot on repairs even though she just might be too young for kindergarten. Despite having little material means and few human connections, this kid creates life in the inanimate and fosters community where none could exist before. Girl power at its best. A sure winner!  Kirkus Star review

This is not only a sweet and wonderful book about friendship, though – it’s a great maker space selection! This is a little girl who’s comfortable with a tool belt and she tinkers with a robot! What' cha Reading?

Blurb: When a little girl finds an adorable robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend. But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for nefarious purposes, and it's all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!

This is not a book an Australian school library could ever add to their collection which is such a dreadful shame. Here in Australia this book, with only 135 pages, costs over AUS$45. Why oh why?

In 2016 Little Robot won Will Eisner award (Considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, are handed out each year in a gala ceremony at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Named for renowned cartoonist Will Eisner (creator of “The Spirit” and pioneer of the graphic novels), the Awards are given out in more than two-dozen categories covering the best publications and creators of the previous year):

2016 Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8): Little Robot, by Ben Hatke 

2023 Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai

Other 2023 entries for ages up to 8 years:

Beneath The Trees: A Fine Summer, by Dav (Magnetic Press)

Fox + Chick: Up and Down: and Other Stories, by Sergio Ruzzier (Chronicle Books)

Grumpy Monkey Who Threw That? by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang (Random House Studio)

Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book, by Ryan Higgins (Disney/Hyperion)

Here is the full list of past winners:

2012 Dragon Puncher Island, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

2013 Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

2014 Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani (Dark Horse)

2015 The Zoo Box, by Ariel Cohn and Aron Nels Steinke (First Second)

2016 Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)

2017 Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, by Ben Clanton (Tundra)

2018 Good Night, Planet, by Liniers (Toon Books)

2019 Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

2020 Comics: Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti (TOON)

2022 Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai (IDW)

2023 The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems (Union Square Kids)

Here are some other books (graphic novels) by Ben Hatke:

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

 

"The three of us lean on our handlebars, breathing and sweating hard, late afternoon sun pinkening our skin and the sky. We stare at the house that's poking from the water about fifty metres from shore - weatherboards caked in mud and water weed, a ragged monster rising from the deep. Only the attic and half a storey below are visible above the waterline."

You could introduce this book using this sentence. What do we know? There are three kids - perhaps they are friends. A house is rising out of the water. Why? What could have caused this? How does the phrases 'a ragged monster rising from the deep' make you feel? Does this change the things you anticipated about this story? Think about the contrasts here - extreme heat and (possibly) murky water.

Will is with his friends - twins Dar and J. J's real name is Juno but watch out she will punch you if you call her that name. This house, rising up from the lake, is so tempting. It is part of the old town that was flooded to make way for a new dam many years ago but with the drought the town is slowing reappearing. J is clearly the leader of this group, and she declares they all need to swim out to the house to investigate. Will is cautious but he decides to follow his friends. Inside the house they make two life changing discoveries - money, lots of it, and human bones. 

Scar Town feels like a real place - this is the prophetic nick name of Scarborough. Perhaps you have seen towns like this where there is a new town built beside an older town which is now submerged under a lake. The town has been 'drowned' to allow a dam to be built. An example of this is Adaminaby, a small farming town nestled in the Snowy Mountains on the border between New South Wales and Victoria states, was submerged under 30 metres of water in 1957 when the local valley was dammed to form the man-made Lake Eucumbene. In 2007 Australia was under drought conditions and so slowly the old town began to reveal itself. This is exactly the scene in Scar Town.

Will's father was the town cop. Seven years ago he, and nine other people, disappeared. Will and his mum have stayed in the town but their anger over the inaction of the authorities who never seemed to fully investigate what happened gives this whole story an undertone of grief, blame and unresolved anger. There is also a layer of decision making/moral dilemma. Should Will tell the police, or his mum or someone important about the money? Is it possible those bones might be his dad? Why is so hard to say no to J? Is this whole mystery way too big for three kids to handle?

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavor of the story:

"We've come across plenty of bones in the past year with the drought. Some famers had to walk away from their properties, leaving cattle to die. But these look different, and I wish like anything that we'd just taken the money and run."

"I want to shout at her that it might be my dad in that wall, but I know she'll tell me that's the perfect reason to go back to the house, and I can't do that. I want to keep my share of the money as much as she does. If I could find out what happened to my dad and use the money to help get mum and me out of Scar Town, my life would be two hundred per cent better."

"When mum first told me my dad had disappeared, I thought she was saying he'd become invisible. Being a cop, my dad was already a superhero, but invisible! That was next level. I used to set a place at the table for him and tell guests not to sit in a certain seat because Dad was sitting there. It wasn't my mum's favourite thing. I don't know how many times she explained he wasn't invisible. He was gone."

I often make predictions for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards. I am absolutely certain Scar Town will be on the 2024 Younger Readers Notables list, and the short list and at this stage (there are still a few reading months to go) I am going to predict Scar Town will be the 2024 winner!! Yes, it is that good and YES you need to read this book and put it into the hands of your mature readers aged 10+. Here are some Teachers Notes for Scar Town. Listen to an audio sample. Read the first few pages here including my text quote at the start of this post. 

Short, punchy sentences, along with realistic dialogue create instantly relatable, believable characters. Tristan has a way of weaving words into graphic vividly cinematic scenes full of tension and strong emotion.  Serious themes of friendship, family, and loss underpin the fast paced action making this much more than just a thrill ride read. Story Links

Bancks has again written an un-putdownable read that races along and puts the reader firmly in the position of having to consider what they would do if they were in that situation. By creating characters that are, in so many ways, just like them, Bancks hooks the reader into being more than just an observer, and places them in the position of having to take a stance. The Bottom Shelf

I have enjoyed EVERY recent book by Tristan Bancks:

Two Wolves

Detention

Cop and Robber

Knock Knock by Catherine Meatheringham ilustrated by Deb Hudson

 

Knock on some doors around the world.

Who will you meet?

What will you do?

Klopf Klopf I am Lotta in Germany; Tukituki I am Loa from Tonga; Kon Kon I am Yuzuki from Japan, Daqq Daqq I am Karim from Egypt, Toc Toc I am Mateo from Mexico, and Thak Thak I am Sana from India. For your youngest children there is a wild map at the back with each door and 'knock knock' word. The end papers could inspire an art activity. Oh, and when you knock on each door the young child who greets you invites you in to meet their family, share a meal, come to a party, visit their school, or play a game. Teachers should add Knock Knock their list of books to share for Harmony Day. 

With vibrant illustrations and fun knocking sounds, this is a joyous celebration of children, culture and language around the world.

This book gave me a huge smile because it is such a simple and perhaps obvious idea, but I have never seen a book before that explored the simple gesture of knocking on a door and the way this is so different around the world. I do hope the publisher has submitted this for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Early Childhood award (2024). Many years ago the CBCA Book Week slogan was Doorways - this book would have been such a perfect way to explore that idea. 

Here is a web page for Catherine Meatheringham - she lives in Canberra. I previously talked about Milly and the Mulberry Tree illustrated by Deb Hudson. 

Catherine talked to The Canberra Times:

"All of my books have onomatopoeia in them, so I love books with sounds that encourage kids to join in with the stories, especially that early childhood market, so that they are part of the story and engaged," she said.

"This one, in particular, I'm really passionate about kids being exposed to different cultures and different lives, but also we have such a multicultural society in Australia and this is a way to showcase that element as well."

Reading Knock Knock, reminded me of another book - Norman Speak - which looks at the way a young boy needs to translate talking to his dog.

And Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson have made a book about this too:

And I need to read this one:

I also thought of this old favourite - a book about knocking on a door, which I read to hundreds of Kindergarten children over the 33 years I worked in a number of school libraries. It would be a fun companion book and it is one of the best ever books to read aloud - with heaps of funny voices and tons of expression.