Flocked by Chren Byng illustrated by Andrew Joyner

No one ever leaves the flock

"Welcome to the flock. In the flock, everything is good. In the flock, everything is warm. In the flock, everything is safe. .. Do not question the flock. The flock is all you need. The flock is all you know. You are the flock and the flock is you. You are happy in the flock."

There’s sure to be a correct literary term for this plot but I call it a “grass is greener story” and I have read lots of them. Daisy by Brian Wildsmith; Wendy by Gus Gordon; Once upon a Small Rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay; and the famous Iranian allegory The Little Black Fish by Samad Behrangi. 

The point of difference here is the tone of indoctrination which is a theme you could explore with older students. The flock do not question their lot in life and everyone is expected to conform. The page where all the sheep are smiling is especially chilling. Is the head sheep a dictator? 

The pages set under the sea and in the busy city street offer a stark contrast to the ‘sameness’ of the flock in the field.

The final pages ask the reader to ‘fill in the gaps’. We see that the young sheep has survived and indeed thrived in the outside world so perhaps after reading the post card, others in the flock might take a step out into the wider world? The expression “pulling the wool over our eyes” comes to mind when I look at the woolly end papers. I think this is more than a story about bravery and stepping out of your comfort zone and it is interesting that the youngest community member is the one who is curious about the world and it is the youngest sheep who is willing to take a risk and defy convention.

You could also view this as an allegory about group think. It plays on the notion that people are like sheep - who follow one another around without thinking. If you look at the labels I have added to this post I think you can see there are terrific possibilities for using this book with a group of older students to explore "bigger" themes such as propaganda; conformity; independence; misuse of power; risk taking; and adventures. This is a book that repays rereading and older children will love being able to predict where the story is going and even what happens next.

The character of the little sheep himself is especially appealing. We see his personality and interests start to develop – with the sideways glances away from the flock and towards the little red flower. You can see more books illustrated by Andrew Joyner here. 

Companion books:

Brian the Brave

Louis I King of the Sheep

Daisy 

Once upon a small Rhinoceros

Louise the Adventures of a chicken

The Little Black Fish

The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell illustrated by Rose Northey

"The princess lived in a tower by the sea. She wasn't sad and she wasn't stuck."

Her tower home is a lighthouse. The princess loves to fish, collect shells, swim and make paper planes. 

"She wasn't even lonely ... Well maybe a little bit."

One day during a wild storm, she sees a young boy in a little boat and he is in danger. When she pulls him to the shore the boy, who has just been rescued, asks the princess - "Do you need rescuing from the tower?"

Are you thinking of Rapunzel? Does she need rescuing or is there another possible outcome for this new fairy tale? I am not going to spoil the story but I can say ...  And yes they both lived ...

Happily ever after

My wonderful "library" friend gave me this book for my birthday last week because she knows I LOVE lighthouses and I believe in fairy tales. This book was the most perfect present ever!

The Lighthouse Princess won The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award from New Zealand. Here is the web site for Rose Northey who is a performance poet. Susan Wardell is an anthropologist and also an poet. Here is an interview with Susan where she talks about writing this book. 

The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award was established in 2009. The award aims to encourage the publication of new and exciting high-quality picture books from new New Zealand illustrators. ... The award is open only to previously unpublished illustrators.

Take a close look at the cover of this book - I love the way it shows the confidence of the princess and the wild waves that surround her lighthouse. But the illustration below there is a hint about her wishes and dreams. 

Here are some versions of Rapunzel which you might like to explore.  I would also be tempted to revisit The Paperbag Princess and perhaps The Tough Princess along with lots of picture books about living in a lighthouse.

Somewhere by Jeanne Willis illustrated by Anastasia Suvorova

Sometimes it feels as though I have cracked the formula for selecting the perfect book. 

• Check the name of the author? YES I know her
• Check the name of the illustrator? YES I know her
• Check the name of the publisher? YES it's Nosy Crow they do fabulous books!
• Look for design features - end papers, die cut pages, cover image - all are wonderful
• Read the blurb - sounds good
• Glorious illustrations - yes yes yes!

Somewhere ticks all of these boxes. I knew the author - Jeanne Willis she wrote a favourite book of mine Mayfly Day and heaps of other terrific books too (more than 300) and Anastasia Suvorova illustrated The Girl who Planted trees. 

Oscar just needs a little time away from his noisy family who keep asking him pesky questions. At the bottom of the garden he steps into nowhere. It is a glorious place filled with colour and imaginative delights. No one is asking him pesky questions. But then Oscar notices the silence. He realises some questions are not quite so pesky:

Shall I tuck you into bed, Oscar?

What about a story, Oscar?

Would you like a cuddle, Oscar?

How will Oscar find his way home from nowhere to somewhere.? Luckily a little ginger cat appears. She shows him the way home where of course his mum is waiting with .... yes more pesky questions.

Is that you, Oscar?

Have you had fun, Oscar?

Where have you been, Oscar?

Can you guess his answer?

Here is the trailer from Nosy Crow where you can see inside this book and also see how the die-cut pages work. This book is available in hardcover (9781788009034) and paperback (9781788009041). The image at the top of this post is the hardcover version. The paperback has a different cover but I'm not able to share that here.  I have seen the hardcover for a really good price of less than $15 so now might be a good time to hunt out this book for your library. 

Somewhere sensitively captures the dichotomy of childhood – wanting brief spells of autonomy and the sudden desire for comfort and reassurance that comes with parental authority.  Childtastic books

I love how Jeanne Willis writes with gentle, lyrical lines and how questions shape the plot - not just those directed by adults at Oscar but philosophical ones he asks himself. Picture Book Snob

The Bold, Brave Bunny by Beth Ferry illustrated by Chow Hon Lam

Begin with the title. Notice all of those words that start with the letter 'B'. This is actually a huge hint about the content of this story. Teetu lives in a small burrow with his huge family. There are bunnies everywhere and it is driving him crazy. His mum gives him a book to read. It is an alphabet book and when he looks inside - oh no B is for bunny! The little bunnies are so excited to see themselves inside a book. They grab the book and eat it! Teetu needs a break from all these bunnies. Late one night he picks up his pack and sets off to explore the world. Only the littlest bunny sees him go. This is a beautifully poignant moment.

B is for brave. B is for bold. B is not only for bunnies

The world looks so different at night and when the sun rises Teetu takes out his little blank book and he begins to draw and write. He has a plan to make a new book. He walks on and on and sees the most amazing things - an owl, pigeons, a squirrel, a tortoise, a raccoon, a howling wolf, and a small hedgehog. When his book is complete he sets off home only to discover he is now lost. Luckily his mum, dad, and all the bunnies have come out to look for him. It is a joyous reunion. When they arrive home Teetu shows the little bunnies his book. In his alphabet book B is for butterfly!

Chow Hom Lam is a Korean illustrator.  The trees in this book are so interesting.  This is his first book. 

Debut illustrator Lam’s illustrations emulate print techniques and stick to a palette primarily made up of slates, black, and white. His bendy trees that curl into the shapes of animals are visual stimuli for Teetu and readers alike. Kirkus

In this video Beth Ferry reads her book. She is the author of many picture books for children such as:

Tales of Olga da Polga by Michael Bond illustrated by Catherine Rayner

Last post I was talking about cover designs.  The Tales of Olga da Polga was first published in 1971 and so this classic book has undergone many different cover designs.  I was lucky to borrow the one illustrated by Catherine Rayner. It has black and white illustrations which are perfect but I have discovered there is also a colour version (2015).

The tales of Olga Polga is one of those classic books that appears on most read-aloud lists. I am not sure why I had missed reading it until now.

Olga is a wonderful character. If you have read other books about guinea pigs such as the series about Humphrey by Betty G. Birney and the Pee Wee trilogy by Joanna Hurwitz you will have met a character similar to little Olga.  I love this description right near the beginning of the book:

"There was a kind of charm about her, something in the set of her whiskers, an extra devil-may-care twirl to the rosettes in her brown and white fur, and a gleam in her eyes, which set her apart. Even her name had an air of romance. How she had come by it was something of a mystery, and Olga herself told so many fanciful tales about moonlit nights, castles in the air, and fields awash with oats and beautiful princesses  ..."

Olga is a natural storyteller. She enthralls her audience with her tall tales of guinea pigs in Peru and how they came by their rosettes and a wonderful tale about a tower of guinea pigs who sent one of their kind to the moon.

Olga is a force of nature. She is very confident and somewhat opinionated but somehow also quite naive and this gives her a sweet charm.  I am looking forward to exploring some of the other stories by Michael Bond about little Olga. There are six in the series along with some omnibus editions and picture books. Each chapter, and there are thirteen, in The Tales of Olga da Polga can stand alone and so this is a perfect book for a family or class read-aloud.

The best word for this/these stories really is fun. They are fun to read, fun to hear, fun to see, and fun to imagine. Both parents and kids will love Olga da Polga. Expect many nights reading about this fascinating guinea pig, from the creator of Paddington Bear.  Kid Lit Reviews

The birthday ball by Lois Lowry illustrated by Jules Feiffer

I picked up this book, The Birthday Ball,  last week because it was written by the talented Lois Lowry.  Sadly I would not have picked this book up from the hundreds of new titles we have ready for our library based on the cover which I do not like.  Do you?

Luckily the cover did not sway me.  This is a terrific read for a middle primary student and could be useful for teachers looking for detailed, if somewhat vile, character descriptions.  There are three or perhaps four suitors all vying for the hand of Princess Patricia Priscilla.  The Princess, meanwhile, is bored with life at court and so she decides to dress as a peasant girl and attend the local school.

Duke Desmond of Dyspepsia had "huge, crooked, brown-spotted teeth, and a tuft of coarse copper-coloured hair."  You can see the illustration of him below.

Prince Percival of Pustula "dressed entirely in black, always.  Even his underclothing was black. His hair had once been a nondescript brown, but he kept it dyed jet black and thickly oiled.  His mustache, as well."

Count Colin and Count Cuthbert the Counts of Coagulatia wore clothing "specially made, with four arms and four legs and two neck-holes, and a very wide waist." They are conjoint twins who are determined to annoy each other.

Lois Lowry uses a rich vocabulary in this fairy tale style romp.  The Princess has a cat called Delicious.

"It's nutritious, Delicious."
"Stop looking avaricious, Delicious"
"Your size is ambitious, Delicious"
"The size of your tummy was suspicious, Delicious!"

Here is a review from the New York Times and another with quite a detailed description of the plot and characters I mentioned previously.  I highly recommend reading any book by Lois Lowry - you will not be disappointed.  Back to that cover.  I think it makes the Princess look ugly and perhaps frivolous and she is neither of these things.  She is a special girl.  This is especially borne out in the care an attention she gives to a little orphan girl who is also attending the school in the village. The ugly repulsive prince suitors on the other hand are perfectly depicted.  Jules Feiffer is the illustrator of the classic book The Phantom Tollbooth.

Lowry transforms the traditional princess into a refreshingly egalitarian heroine with a mind of her own.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L Holm

I am putting a little image here of Babymouse because I can hardly believe this but Turtle in Paradise is by Jennifer Holm who also wrote the Babymouse series.

Turtle in Paradise feels like a book from a completely different author. The setting here, for this middle to upper primary novel, is Key West in Florida.  The date is June 1935 and America is in the grip of the depression.  Poverty and hardship pervade life of the characters in this book and it is precisely because of this poverty that Turtle finds herself living away from her mother with her harassed and overworked aunt and boisterous collection of boy cousins.  "Truth is the place looks like a broken chair that's been left out in the sun to rot."

Key West is a tiny community where everyone knows everyone else and nearly everyone is related. Within hours of her arrival everyone knows about Turtle and they know her mum is far away working as a maid.  Aunt Minnie has no time for the new arrival.  "This is just like Sadiebelle.  She never thinks.  As if I don't have enough already with three kids and a husband who's never home ... And you bought a cat?"

The three kids are named Kermit, Beans and Buddy.  Along with their friend Pork Chop these boys are The Diaper Gang - they mind crying babies and change diapers in exchange for candy.  Turtle is not allowed to join this gang because girls are not allowed but she tags along.  What these boys don't know yet is that Turtle is a strong willed and very capable.  She has no interest in Shirley Temple but she does have a huge dream of a special house to share with her mum.  Along with her aunt and cousins, two other important people live at Key West - Turtle's angry grandmother Nana Philly and an old fisherman called Slow Poke.  Within weeks of her arrival Turtle has a job and she has begun to forge a relationship with her cantankerous grandmother.

Here is a flavour of the story - a description of a cut up :

"After we finish swimming, we have a cut-up.  A cut-up is something these Conch kids do every chance they get. Each kid brings whatever they can find lying around or hanging on a tree - sugar apple, banana, mango, pineapple, alligator pear (avocado), guava, cooked potatoes and even raw onions.  They take a big bowl, cut it all up, and season it with Old Sour, which is made form key lime juice, salt and hot peppers.  Then they pass it around with a fork and everyone takes a bite.  It's the strangest fruit salad I've ever had, but it's tasty."

There are only 177 pages in this book but it contains so many fabulous twists and turns you will find yourself spinning and smiling and definitely cheering for our special heroine Turtle.

My only real disappointment with this book comes from never really discovering why Turtle is called Turtle although I think I can make an educated guess.  Here is a good review and if I haven't convinced you that this is a terrific book here is another very detailed review from Jen Robinson.

You might also enjoy Waiting for Normal.

Turtle in Paradise won a Newbery honor (2010) so there are lots of book trailers - here is one that I like.  Here is a set of questions and a vocabulary list. One of the interesting ways I have already used this book was at a parent talk last week.  I think I convinced some of my audience that I had actually been to Florida - I love this aspect of reading when you feel as though you have really been a participant in a book long after you have finished reading.

Holm’s voice for Turtle is winning and authentic—that of a practical, clear-eyed observer—and her nimble way with dialogue creates laugh-out-loud moments. Sweet, funny and superb