The Big Big Sea by Martin Waddell illustrated by Jennifer Eachus

"Mum said, 'Let's go!' So, we went

out of the house and into the dark and I saw THE MOON".

This book is filled with soft focus photo realistic art which perfectly matches the gentle story of a mother a child who take a night -time walk to see the ocean under the moonlight. The art style might remind you of the Australian illustrator Jane Tanner. 

The Big Big Sea is out of print but I picked up a mint condition copy at a local charity book fair for just AUS$2.

Companion book:

The Night Walk

Here are some other books illustrated by Jennifer Eachus and I have of course talked about many of the famous books by Martin Waddell on this blog - just click his name at the bottom of this post. 

About The Big Big Sea: Waddell again is paired with a crackerjack illustrator. Kirkus

Little Treasure by Chanelle Gosper illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith

 

Publisher blurb: A mother and child explore a deserted beach on a windy day. It is an afternoon they will both treasure always. A poetic and tender book about how the small moments spent together are often the most precious.

One of the important "outcomes" that comes from reading a well written and beautifully illustrated picture book to a child (of any age) is they will hear rich language.  Look at these examples from Little Treasure:

"A smooth purple pebble with silvery lines, a seaweed strand with beads so fine, blue sea glass in the shape of a bell, and a tiny pale pink heart-shaped shell."

"A piece of the night sky that fell from the stars, a necklace of green stones sparkling like glass, a precious sapphire as blue as can be, and a perfectly pink charm of the sea."

I don’t think there is one straight line anywhere in any of the images in the book. The illustrations have a fluidity that capture the shifting nature of the beach setting and the make-believe scenes from the characters’ imaginations. Towards the end of the book, we begin to grasp the dual meaning of the title, Little Treasure. For while the child is lost in her world of seaside treasures, the mother is treasuring the experience of being with her innocent, inquisitive daughter. Reading Time

The ordinary becomes the extraordinary as shells and seaweed become a mermaids’ jewels; a ship on the horizon transports treasure to unknown places; footsteps in the sand become pathways to new adventures and undiscovered worlds.  And throughout it all, is threaded the unending love between mother and child fed by the small moments that become memories and the joy of sharing them in a timeless bubble, reminding us that those are the most precious things of all. The Bottom Shelf

Stop and look at the end papers and then next time you visit the seaside you might look for this seaweed that is like a string of pearls. I found the scientific name for Neptunes Pearls Hormosira banksii.

Image source iNaturalist New Zealand

Little Treasure is a 2024 CBCA Notable Picture Book. 

Tisha and the Blossom by Wendy Meddour illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

"I think my favourite days are full of blossom and a bit of slowing down."

Every now and then I read a book that I just want to gift to everyone. Tisha and the Blossom is one of those books. 

Tisha's day is full of rushing. Rushing to get off to school. Rushing to catch the bus. Rushing from one school class or task to the next. Finally at the end of the day Tisha has had enough. She asks her mum if they could just walk home - slowly. And they do. On the way they see things - really see things - like the birds and colours and funny things like hats and sausage dogs. Once they arrive home mum suggests they have a picnic for dinner and while they are sitting outside Tisha finally has time to catch the blossoms she saw falling from the tree earlier that morning.

There are two poignant moments in this book - one when we see Tisha trying to count the spots on a ladybird in the school playground - but before she can get past three she is interrupted because it is time to eat. And near the end of the story we see Tisha with her mum and dad dancing under the blossom tree - no words - just a page of joy!

This book was published in 2021 and it is still available in paperback for a very good price. In the US this book has a slightly different title - Tisha and the Blossoms! If you need a wonderful gift for a teacher or for a family with young children, I think this one is perfect - yes it has a 'message' but it is an important message told with a light touch and wonderful illustrations. 

You can see inside this book here. 

A sweet reminder to pause and ponder life’s everyday wonders. Kirkus

Meddour uses gentle dialogue and winsome description to dial the story, and its early frantic pages, back down into a soothing tone and cadence where this tranquil family interaction can bloom. Egnéus’s illustrations are lush, and include a variety of perspectives and points of view, including a delicious scene of Tisha nose-to-nose with a ladybug. Combine that with eye-popping spreads festooned with blossoming trees that evoke all the meandering wonder and play this little protagonist desires, and his work here is downright honor worthy.  School Library Journal

Here is the website for Wendy Meddour. And here are some books illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. Born in 1972 in Sweden, Daniel Egnéus has spent 20 years in Prague, London, Berlin, Bologna, Rome, Milano and has now made Athens his base. 

In this interview Daniel Egnéus talks about his book Lubna and Pebble

Raven Child and the Snow Witch

The Thing

Fox A Circle of life Story

Queenie in Seven Moves by Zanni Louise

Let's begin with the title of this book. I thought it would be a book about chess. Yes, that famous game is mentioned, but Queenie is actually the name of the main character and seven moves refers to the way Queenie and her mum keep having to move either to a new house, or a share house and even a run-down caravan.

Homelessness is a VERY serious topic. When we meet Queenie Jean Anderson and her mum we discover they have to leave the home they have rented for many years. Queenie has named this house Peachy but the owner, who is also their neighbour and a friend, has decided to sell it and move on. Mum works in an aged care village and luckily one of the small homes in the village, named Diamonds, will be empty for the next couple of weeks so they can move in there even though this cannot become their home for very long. Once the new owner arrives in the village the mother and daughter move again into a share house with the Elliots.

"The truth is, the Elliots aren't Sarah's friends as such. Sarah's friend's neighbour's cat heard there was a family looking to share for a bit because the dad lost his job during COVID. When I quizzed mum more, she didn't know anything about the Elliots, which seems like a very dicey living arrangement." page 70

The cat heard? I am a bit confused. Also, it turns out the son of the Elliot family is a boy in Queenie's class - why didn't she recognise the surname? It is the end of Year Six so I would expect her to know the names of every student in her class. Queenie is aged eleven or twelve and so is Dory so, sorry to be negative, but I did wonder why her mum would have no concerns about a boy and girl sharing a room? 

"So, I am going from never talking to a guy-who-is- vaguely-good-looking in my life to sharing a bedroom with him."

This arrangement comes to an end quickly when the adults see Dory and Queenie kissing! Next stop - an old run-down caravan.

"Mum jostles the door of Terry's caravan. It takes a few goes, but eventually comes unstuck. True to the description, the caravan is leaky. A stream of water trickles down one wall. A line of mould decorates one of the other walls. The kitchen bench is saggy with moisture ... the place smells of mould and rotting leaf litter."

Remember my comment homelessness is a very serious topic - well I was quite dismayed by the way mum just seemed to accept living in this dreadful caravan. I expected to get some sense of her despair. Especially when all of their possessions are destroyed after the caravan collapses in the wild weather. 

There are a couple more moves after the caravan is wrecked and then finally, we reach the happy ending. I won't spoil this except to say Queenie and her mum do find a proper place to live. Can you count seven moves? Diamonds; Elliots; Caravan; Ruthie's house (the owner of the Caravan); and Dimitri's place equals five. Briefly they move to a tent so Queenie can enter a singing contest - that is move six. Then the happy ending is move seven.

I had a small problem with the Christmas scene in this book. Queenie and her mum head to a market on Christmas Day and there are lots of other people there. Here in Australia Christmas is in the Summer so a market at the beach makes sense but I am fairly sure there are no towns where a market would be held on the 25th December. Yes, there are plenty of Christmas markets, but these happen over the days leading up to big day. I guess you just need to go with the flow - the market does sound like fun with food and rides and Santa. 

"The beachside Christmas market is every year on Christmas Day. It's like an orphans' Christmas, for people who don't have big families to spend Christmas with. There are lots of tourists and young people."

I am not sure I entirely agree with these four reviewers, but I suspect this book might be a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 Younger Readers Notable title and so to balance my review comments I am sharing these links. I read Queenie in Seven Moves quite quickly and it did hold my attention, but I cannot give it five or even four stars.

Mother and daughter are enriched by the diversity of the characters they encounter with each of their moves. Their homelessness exposes them to the many definitions of homelessness. Both reassess their understanding of friendship. Queenie in Seven Moves is a compassionate tale filled with images of human kindness, and the acceptance and change that seems to surface frequently in times of crisis. Beautifully written. A great read! Kids' Book Review

Queenie in Seven Moves is such a gorgeous story and twelve-year-old Queenie is a treat with her moods and possessiveness of her mother. It's all so relatable! Little Squirrels Bookshelf

This is a book about resilience, family, friendships and self-belief. Readers will enjoy this modern-day tale of urban adventure and quiet heroism. Georgina Gye

This is a well-paced, engaging and emotionally satisfying book, that hits all the right notes (excuse the pun). But if Zanni ever gets bored with writing books, she could easily move on to song writing. The song lyrics included in the book are a clever reflection of Queenie’s experiences and emotions and add to the tenor of the story (sorry, another pun). Storylinks

Here are some other books that explore this complex topic of homelessness. You can pop each title into my side bar to read more or click this link to a post which refers to nearly all of these:

Here are some picture books about homelessness - I highly recommend you share some of these with your students:

If you are in Australia you are sure to know some of these picture books by Zanni Louise. 

And here is her new junior book series:

I read her website and a few interviews with this author and I had one question - is this her real name?  I now discover her first name is Suzannah but is Louise really her surname?  Here are some interviews with Zanni Louise - I was surprised no one asked her about the name Zanni?

Reading With a Chance of Tacos

Your Kid's Next Read episode 81

Australian Writers Centre episode 169

Positive Parenting

There's no such book by Jessica Dettmann illustrated by Jake A Minton

This book offers a fresh perspective on the whole ‘book week’ costume dilemma and should encourage young readers to think about ‘what really makes a book, a book?’ This book will enjoyed in schools and homes in the lead up to book week and it might inspire weird and wonderful costumes. (Hopefully based on books and not Disney or other commercial characters). 

There is an explosion of imaginative ideas on the cover of this book. The optimism of mum contrasts beautifully with the doubtful face of Ellie. Mum and Ellie are shown to be so different – in appearance and personality - yet they have such a wonderful and gentle bond. Mum’s patience and creativity is to be commended. Mum is creative and eccentric with wild red hair and a colourful cardigan, while Ellie is more scholarly and tidier, with neat straight black hair and a crisp school uniform. Their home is a wild and creative space – full of books, plants, tea, lamps and candlelight.

Mum and Ellie also have such gorgeous expressive faces. I especially adore mum’s huge glasses and hand knitted rainbow cardigan and you can feel the love behind the squeeze when mum hugs Ellie after telling her there will a costume solution in the morning. 

This is a single parent family but that theme is just in the background. In a poignant moment we get a hint about dad from the photo which we see early in the morning as Ellie heads down the hallway. 

The end papers come from the kitchen tiles and it interesting that the tile pattern disappears when Ellie tells her mum book week is tomorrow!

The house lighting gives the pages in this book a lovely soft glow and it is easy to identify nighttime and morning light. Mum’s collection of pot plants are also very appealing. Jake Minton has given mum and Ellie big wide eyes, the expressive faces and beautiful body language. 

There is a quiet, gentle connection between the mother and daughter and I so appreciate the love the mother shows when she makes that special book for her little girl. That lounge on the front cover looks so comfy. When you look closely you can see Mum has worked so late into the night on the new book for Ellie she didn't have the energy to put on her own pyjamas and so she wore her jumper to bed! The shared ice cream at the end of the book adds to the happy mood and assures the reader that this costume will be the perfect one for this little girl. We know she will feel that she does fit in with everyone else at their book week event. 

There's no such book was short listed for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award 2023. 

Here is the judges' report: Wide eyes and expressive faces and bodies stand out creating distinct characters with a gentle connection between the mother and daughter depicted. An engaging cover and endpapers gracefully anticipate aspects of the story, while the setting is an appealing space, and the lighting gives the pages a soft glow. The colours vary on each page creating shifts in mood from the earthy reality of home to the vibrancy of the imaginative worlds; also, the use of broken white outlines lends a sgraffito element artistically, which lifts the colours. Minton has an assured illustrative style with an authentic and individual use of Procreate; he understands point-of-view, layout, colour and design.

I am not a fan of book week parades and dress up days. I worked with children who came from very poor circumstances with no family support for events like this and many could only come in play clothes or even their school uniform. On the other hand, though this book does give a lovely message about improvising a costume and there is no sense of a competition which is what it became at one of my school where wealthy parents hired costumes from a theatre company in Sydney and this is even more shocking because this was the school where some little children had no lunch, no breakfast and one parent in jail so of course they didn’t have fancy costumes to flaunt at a parade. But this is a book that I would be happy to share with a group of children in a school library - ideally in the weeks leading up to Book Week if the school is planning a dressing up event. 

Amma's Sari by Sandhya Parappukkaran illustrated by Michelle Pereira

 

This book is a glorious celebration of cultural heritage, family connection and learning to 

appreciate the strengths and beauty in difference.

Mum (Amma) puts on her sari each morning and this is a very special ritual which her daughter enjoys but out in the world people stare. Amma is not concerned about this, but her daughter Shreya notices the way others look at her mum.

"Eyebrows arch into curious mountains when we step out Amma boldly marches on."

Her daughter can hear the comments and see the faces and it makes her feel uncomfortable in way that is confusing and perhaps even disloyal.

"My feet drag. Whispers make me feel anxious."

While they are shopping the little girl finds she is lost. Her mum is not nearby. How can she find her? The crowds of tall shoppers are noisy and rushing everywhere. 

"The crowd tosses me adrift. I frantically search for a stretch of shimmering silk. I wipe my eyes and breathe a wish - to feel soft silk, warmth and love. Then a glint of sunshine catches my eye."

The little girl has found her mum, and she has also found a new way to appreciate her mother's beautiful clothing and the way is now open to embrace all the wonderful cultural and family things her mother has to share.

The sari itself, in this book, is almost a character in its own right – it shimmers with confidence. Every child has had the experience of feeling embarrassed by their parents, but this book adds a cultural layer which will directly mirror the experience of some readers and hopefully inform other children and build empathy and understanding. 

The layering of the illustrations on the third double spread is especially effective and innovative as a way to show the past and the present. On some pages the illustrations seem to swish with the fabric of her sari. Michelle Pereira allows us to really feel the fear of Shreya when she is surrounded by the enormous legs and shoes of the crowd outside when she has lost her mum. The final words of the text are glorious – ‘I beam through the stares and whispers. Walking in the light of Amma’s sari'.

A truly wonderful celebration of diverse cultures. This book helps us to recognise and appreciate these different experiences and perspectives – and makes us challenge and think critically about the way we might react to the ‘otherness’ in the world around us.  Amma is so proud of her sari – which is a representation of herself, her identity, her culture – and how this is represented visually through the sheer size and vibrancy of it. I love the way the sari fills every page. 

Now take a look at end papers - talk to your young reading companion about the significance of the clothesline and peg basket. Link this to the story (that's easy) then try to link this to the wider themes in this book. 

The layout of the pages is so creative with the text intertwining with the illustrations in varied ways adding interest and meaning to the narrative. The illustrations are a feast for the reader’s senses as you are transported back to Amma’s childhood. The details stimulate your taste buds and you also feel like you can hear the hearty laughter ringing from the pages as Shreya and her mother enjoy such quality time together. There are a cast of culturally and racially diverse characters included in the illustrations which adds to the richness of the story and the celebration of difference and diversity. Reading Opens Doors

Amma’s Sari has one of the pinkest covers I’ve seen and it is absolutely gorgeous. The colours are  delicate and attractive, perfectly complementing this sensitively told tale of love and acceptance, the whole notable for its careful nuance and delicacy of feeling. Storylinks

Here is an ABC video of this book. Here are some useful teaching notes linked from Pegi Wiliams. And there are more ideas on Sandhya's own page. 

Michelle Pereira won the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award in 2022 with her book and Amma's Sari was a 2023 Notable Picture book:

The judges said: An excellent production with high-quality, very appealing retro illustrations which have been created with a limited colour palette using bold strokes and ‘splattered’ detail. The illustrations and text are fully entwined conveying the difficult balance between being ‘different’ and celebrating cultural heritage. The elegant endpapers echo this heritage while the kookaburra outside the window gives an Australian flavour to the setting. The illustrations also appeal to our senses. There is skilled use of ‘white’ space and the night time page made with the green hues is a very effective contrast against the orange of Zimdalamashkermishkada’s name.

Sandhya Parappukkaran left her job as a Food Technologist so she could put her feet up and read. Then she rediscovered her passion for children’s books. She writes stories with themes of ‘embracing your cultural identity’ inspired by her South Indian heritage. Sandhya resides in Brisbane with her husband. Michelle Pereira is an illustrator who spent her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya and now lives in Melbourne, Australia. She graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Communication Design and became a professional illustrator after a somewhat extended, but enjoyable, stint of bar work. She has worked with a range of clients such as Penguin UK, Netflix, the New York Times and Marie Claire. She uses bright colours and textural elements.  Hardie Grant