No Room for a Mouse by Kyle Mewburn illustrated by Freya Blackwood

My favourite parts of this book are the cross section illustrations of the huge house and the kindness of Christopher. It is not directly stated but clearly Mrs Fizzletum has become homeless even if the reasons are fanciful and fun:

"I gave my pot plants too much food. ... Now my house is a jungle, and a boa constrictor has swallowed my keys."

Similarly Melody Mistletoe and her family now live at the bus stop. 

"I forgot to turn the taps off in the bath. ... Now our house is an ocean, and there are oysters growing in our beds."

I also love the way everyone contributes to the house and mum finds delightful things such as freshly baked scones but she is so busy that she does not think to ask where they have come from. 

Book seller blurb: Christopher lived with his mum and his best friend, Sneaky, in a house with more rooms than Christopher could count. This charming story about Christopher, his mother and his mouse Sneaky will delight children of all ages. Christopher’s mother is so busy working for the pigeon post that she doesn’t notice when Christopher invites an amazing variety of people to share their enormous house. There’s Mrs Fizzletum, Melody Mistletoe and her family, Maestro Bambonium and his Grand Pandemonium, Ringmaster Fergus and the Sawdust Circus — so many people that there is no room for Sneaky!

This book is a new discovery for me even though it was published in 2007. I have previously talked about Freya Blackwood. Kyle Mewburn lives in New Zealand and is the author of many picture books. She won the Joy Cowley Award (presented by Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand) in 2005 and won both the Picture Book Category and the Children's Choice Category with Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! at the 2007 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. No room for a mouse won a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2008.

When the orchestra move into the house it reminded me of another book by a New Zealand author - Margaret Mahy:

The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper

You might also be lucky and have a very old book by Bob Graham:

Otto the top dog by Catherine Rayner

Otto has a terrific life and best of all he has his 'lovely comfy' cushion-soft basket. Otto is also a kind dog, and he loves to share so it seems quite natural that he would ask a friend to come over for a visit and, because they are both a little tired, Otto tells Lupin he is welcome to share his basket. 

This is of course just the beginning because Lupin tells other dogs at the park about Otto's wonderful basket. Eventually even more dogs arrive, and poor old Otto is totally squashed and unhappy. How can he solve this problem without hurting the feelings of his friends?

If you love dogs and you love endpapers you have to find this book! I can imagine spending time with your young reading companion looking closely at the face of each dog (there are over 90) talking about each dog - their breed and personality.

Publisher blurb: After Otto invites one of his friends to share his comfy basket, word quickly spreads around the neighbourhood. Soon he's sharing his cosy bed with all the dogs in the area, even taking in the local strays! Before he knows it, everyone is having the best sleep in his beloved basket: everyone, but Otto! Will Otto ever get his basket back to himself? And will he still like it if he does?

Here is a review from IBBY.uk: The illustrations are wonderful, so accurately drawn in each dog’s own body and character. A perfect book about kindness and sharing, and re-thinking what to do when things at first don’t work perfectly.

I think all primary school libraries should have at least one, but preferably more, book by Catherine Rayner. Her art is amazing yes, but her stories also always have another deeper layer of meaning such as the themes in this book about kindness, sharing, and problem solving. You can see a few pages inside this book here. My friend is crazy about her dog - she is sure to love this book because one of the dogs from the park is named Bentley! With your class you could make a list of all the dog names from this book and then make a list of pets and their names from your class. This book was published in 2024 and the hardcover is only AUS$27 but many of Catherine Rayner's books are now available in paperback. 

Pop the name Catherine Rayner into my side bar or 

click her name on the labels for this post to read more about some of these books.

The Black Cockatoo with one Feather Blue by Jodie McLeod illustrated by Eloise Short

If you begin with the title, you might anticipate this book is told in rhyme. "One Feather Blue" not one blue feather. Then turn the page and read the rhyming text:

"It was a magic feather, powering her wings. With her feather she could do incredible things."

BUT later we read

"When her feather disappeared, her dazzle did too. Her courage, her cleverness poof! - into the blue."

So, the cockatoo sets off to find her feather asking all the bush animals to help her - the wise emu, the brave kangaroo, and the kind quolls. This repetition means this book will be enjoyed by children aged 4+. And the happy ending will give everyone a smile.

The end notes in this book explain there are five different species of Black Cockatoo in Australia. They can have red, yellow, orange or white markings. The bird featured in this book is a female red-tailed black cockatoo. Currently four of the five species are under threat due to land clearing for agriculture, mining or logging. There is also the huge issue of bushfires.

The Cockatoo with one Feather Blue is a CBCA 2024 Notable title. Here are the comments by the judges:

A delightful narrative that explores themes of identity, friendship and kindness through anthropomorphic Australian characters that embark on an adventurous quest. From its  attractive cover and appealing silhouette endpapers, to its heart-warming resolution, this high-quality production is suited to younger readers. The undulating rhyme and almost musical rhythm flows wonderfully, with the clever use of alliteration and repetition adding to its read-aloud appeal. The highly accomplished illustrations, using muted and earthy tones, complement and enhance the written verse and facilitate a joyful celebration of 

the Australian bush setting. The final page of the book provides readers with further information about black cockatoos in Australia and urges readers to help save the habitat of black cockatoos.

Author webpage. Illustrator webpage. And here are some teaching notes. Or try this link.  This is not perfect but if you look at this video you can see inside this book. Read more about Australian cockatoos here. 

The themes of friendship, resilience and identity plus the connection with nature are ones that will easily transfer to either home or classroom setting and offer children much to consider.  Kids' Book Review

The book serves as both a calming read before naptime for young children, and an educational one for older children. Gracefully exploring themes such as iconic Australian birds, kindness, friendship, and letting go of things that no longer serve us, The black cockatoo with one feather blue is a timely message that we are greater than ourselves, and capable of truly incredible things. Reading Time

Companion books:

Accidentally Kelly Street by Briony Stewart

A new family arrive at a new house on a new street in a new neighbourhood. Being new can feel lonely, but on Kelly Street the neighbours are warm and welcoming, and small acts of kindness go a long way. Soon enough, strangers have become friends, and a new house becomes a home. Affirm Press

The tiny details in the illustrations found inside this book bring me such joy – mum is sewing red polka dot fabric – we have seen her daughter in clothes made from this material but then mum gifts the same sweet outfit to the child of a neighbour. This is a gentle and generous surprise for the reader and for the mother of the toddler. The little girl finds a paper aeroplane and talking about this with the kids over the fence sets up her first new friendship – all of this can be surmised from the illustration. Generous neighbours give the new family an old lounge and a dining table and chairs. There are also small hints that this is an Australian story – a magpie in a tree, the Streets ice cream sign and the name of the band Frente outside the shop. 

I also appreciated the small cultural references – shoes placed near the door to their house, the woven rug on the back of the lounge, and the desperately sad image of mum and dad reading letters from home and watching the dreadful news on their tiny television. You can see a picture of their extended family on the ledge behind the tv echoing the sacrifices involve with coming to this new land – we can only guess why – but their meagre possessions and the image of the young girl playing with a boat filled with tiny figures shows clearly that this is a family of refugees. 

I was not a teenager in the 1990s so I missed this 1992 song. I did not expect to like this book because I thought knowledge of the song would be essential, but it is not! I really love the way the illustrations in this book tell a completely different, but related, story. The end papers are perfect. I do wish, however, the book designer had moved the ‘celebrity’ endorsements onto the back cover – they are a distraction and will be of no interest to the target audience. 

Coming back to the song – the title of this book is also perfect this family are so lucky to have accidentally found their home in Kelly Street – a street that is a joyous celebration of everything a community should be. The illustrations move beautifully between full page spreads, half page and unframed vignettes I love the sunflowers and daisies – yellow for sunshine and happiness. And there is a hint of another story on the final page. 

This story helps readers appreciate the universal big feelings that come with starting in a new place. It also allows children to walk in the shoes of not only the newcomer, but to see through the lens of someone that is already part of the community, actions they can employ to help welcome others. Reading Opens Doors

Here's a door and here's a window
Here's a ceiling here's a floor
The room is lit like a black and white movie
The T.V's on that's what it's for
And if you walk real slowly
You can feel the planet breathe
There's no need to feel so lonely
Now that we've all learned to give
Chorus:
Accidently Kelly Street
Where friends and strangers sometimes meet
Accidently Kelly Street
I never thought life could be so sweet
In the garden birds are singing
The sun is shining on the path
The wind is talking to the flowers
And dogs and cat all take a bath
And if you stop that talking
You can hear the traffic sigh
Throw away those keys start walking
And watch those tiny things go by
(Chorus)
It's Sunday everyday
There's no need to rush around
Inside of everybody
There's sun and laughter to be found
It seems that we're on Holidays
And sleeping in is not a sin
All the house work done by tea time
And feeling good about the way I've been
Perhaps this optimism will crash on down
Like a house of cards
I know that my decision to change my life
Is not that hard
(Chorus)
Accidently, accidently,
Accidently Kelly Street I never thought life could be so sweet

Pocket Treasure by Wenda Shurety illustrated by Juliana Oakley

Allira loves her dress with pockets because she can carry her precious things, keep her hands warm and give her a place to store all the treasures she finds along the way:

"But best of all, her pockets were perfect for holding treasures inside, like sparkly trinkets, garden gifts, and many special bits and bobs."

Then over the following pages we see Allira give each of these bits and bobs to her class mates - acts of generosity and spontaneous kindness. By playtime, though, her pockets are empty and Allira really wants to decorate the huge mud cake she has made for her teacher's birthday. Now think of the expression 'one good turn deserves another'. Each of Allira's friends come to the rescue offering things from their own pockets to decorate the cake. Oh and the teacher has the most affirming and perfect reaction when she sees her cake. Then you can go back and look at the illustration where all her pocket contents are scattered around Allira - it would be fun to match these with each child and then identify the reason for her gift. 

At the start of this book I thought here we go again - another book about girls who like clothes with pockets [I always love my pockets] BUT then I discovered this book is SO much more. And this will sound unpatriotic but I was amazed to discover this book is Australian. I have not heard of either the author or the illustrator before today.

Wanda Shurety from Booktopia: Born in London, Wenda Shurety travelled extensively as part of her studies to become a research scientist before developing a love of writing stories for children. She now lives in Brisbane. Pocket Treasure is Wenda's second picture book with Affirm Press, following the successful Backyard Magic.

Juliana Oakley is an illustrator from Latvia based in Bahrain.

I do hope Affirm Press have entered this book for the 2024 Children's Book of the Year award [Early Childhood] because I think this book could easily make the Notable list. The final end paper, which defines each of the children's names and how this relates to the word treasure, truly adds a layer of delight to this story.

As I said this book is about so much more than pockets but that topic could be a fun mini theme in a preschool so here are some other books to explore:

Generosity - using picture books to explore this topic

-

"I’m looking for picture books with the theme of generosity"

This question was posed on a Facebook forum this morning. Over 190 people responded with ideas so I thought it might be a good idea to collate some of their suggestions. 

The most mentioned and most controversial title that came up over and over again was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein but it not a book that appeals to me at all. Many respondents also mentioned The Rainbow Fish but I found this book very odd when I re-read it recently so it would not be one that I could recommend. 

One person also suggested look at books by Jory John - these are terrific. I need to re-read all them with a different lens and think about generosity.

I am fairly sure the question came from someone in the US and clearly most of the answers were from the US too so no one mentioned Rose meets Mr Wintergarten by Bob Graham or the international title The Little Night Cat. Tonight I also thought of Little Robin Red Vest and In a Cloud of Dust.  On the post thread I listed Shelter and The Biscuit Maker. 

Here are some I have talked about or read previously with the theme of generosity:

Shelter- every every library should own this book

Thank You Omu!

Those Shoes

The Quilt Makers Gift

Extra Yarn

The Biscuit Maker

The Perfect Picnic

The Boy who grew Flowers

Our tree named Steve

Here are some that you might have predicted:

Here are some I plan to read:

The Perfect Picnic by Ciara Flood

Unlikely best friends Squirrel and Mole decide today is the day for a perfect picnic. They prepare sandwiches (with no butter); apples; crackers and a delicious strawberry layer sponge cake. Squirrel has the map and Mole has his back pack but unfortunately, very early on, Mole's pack catches on a blackberry bush and the thorns rip a long slit in the bottom of his pack. Mole and Squirrel continue their hunt for the perfect picnic spot oblivious to the loss of all their food. Luckily, though, other forest animals have been following this disaster and somehow the day is saved with a wonderful generous gathering at the end even if it is not quite perfect. Oh, and for the next picnic, Mole suggests they might add some butter to the sandwiches.

I adore picnics even though I don't go on them very often. When I was a child we often went on picnics - my mum, dad and I - and we also had an American cookery book that fascinated me because it was filled with photos of glamorous people enjoying picnics in all sorts of locations.

Ciara Flood is a UK illustrator so I am puzzled as to how her book came to be published here in Australia by Five Mile Press. I have already mentioned another book by Ciara Flood - Those Pesky Rabbits. 

I love her illustration of Squirrel and Mole's homes. It reminds me of Upstairs Mouse and Downstairs Mole; Happy Hoppy Home and Need a House call Ms Mouse. 

Take a look at this post about picnics from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. I would pair The Perfect Picnic (sorry it is out of print) with:

The Disgusting Sandwich

The Rattlebang Picnic

Another famous book where the main character does not realise everything is being lost on their journey is this one but I am sure there are others: