October 28 2021

Zenobia, by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman

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Zenobia, by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman

Title: Zenobia
Author: Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel/ picture book. Refugee issues.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“I whisper: Find me!
But I only whisper it to myself.”
Zenobia by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman is an incredibly sobering and powerful read. There are few words, but the pictures convey a story that’s heartbreaking to the extreme. Amin’s is on a boat – crowded, afraid, and not fit for the journey it’s taking across the open ocean. As it’s hit by a giant wave, she’s thrown overboard, and as she floats downwards in the salty water, she remembers how she got here. The salty dolmas her mother made, just before her parents disappeared. The quietness of her village before the tanks arrived, and her uncle came to take her away. The tears as he used the last money he had to get her on a boat to freedom. From hiding as a child playing hide and seek at home, to being invisible in a world which doesn’t see her … this is a deeply personal individual story about Amina, which shines a spotlight on the devastation and despair of the Syrian refugee crisis.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 182/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

October 15 2021

Julia and the Shark, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

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Julia and the Shark, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Title: Julia and the Shark
Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Genre/ issues: Middle grade. Family/ relationships. Mental health. 

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“I am ten years and two hundred and three days old. I had to ask my dad to work that out for me, because numbers are not my favourite. Words are. You can make numbers into words, but you can’t make words into numbers, and so words must be more powerful, mustn’t they?”
Sigh. Have I already said I had a favourite middle grade book for the year? Whatever it was, I think it has some serious competition. Julia and the Shark is written by @kiran_mh and illustrated by @tomdefrestonart, and it’s a stunning book. Julia tells us the story of the summer she spent at a lighthouse with her father, who was trying to fix the lights, and her marine biologist mother, who was trying to find a shark. Not just any shark, though. One older than the trees, moving though the water slowly for centuries, and possibly holding a secret that might help people, if only they could unlock the mysteries it holds. Julia loses her mother, though, and she finds the shark. Don’t worry. That’s not spoilery.
There is something deeply poetic about this novel, pure and passionate, and at once both deeply profound and deeply simple. If I had read this as a child, I’d have resonated deeply with Julia. As an adult, I feel strongly connected to both her father, struggling to hold everything together for the people he loves, and her mother, who (spoiler alert!) is dealing with some mental health issues.
Content warnings: this book depicts a parent with bipolar, and the impact of their extremes on the people around them, including an overdose of pills which is presented with a profoundly sensitive touch. The emphasis is very much on the power of acknowledging mental health issues and seeking appropriate help.
I know, it sounds heavy. It’s really not. It’s such a beautiful narrative, supported and enhanced by the incredible art of de Freston. I am in awe of this book. I’ll be reading it again.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 173/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

October 13 2021

The Curiousities, by Zana Fraillon and Phil Lesnie

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The Curiousities, by Zana Fraillon and Phil Lesnie

Title: The Curiousities
Author: Zana Fraillon
Illustrator: Phil Lesnie
Genre/ issues: Picture book. Neurodivergence. Fantasy.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I usually do picture books posts in a set of 3 or 4, but the couple I wanted to share today are worthy of their own posts. The Curiosities by @zanafraillon and @phillesnie is breathtaking. Miro wakes one morning to find that the world is a little different. The Curiosities have chosen to nest on him, and they help him to discover all the marvels that hide in the shadows where no-one looks. Sometimes it’s wonderful, as he explores the world in new and different ways – but sometimes, the shadowy Curiosities that float around him make Miro feel alone and invisible.
There are so many layers to this wonderful book. On the surface, it could be seen as a lovely story about looking at the world differently, but there are myriad beautiful celebrations of disability and diversity, and a strong message about taking pride in who you are and what makes you you. Zana talks in the endnotes about drawing on her family experiences with Tourette syndrome, and about the importance of recognising how differently abled we all are. Phil reflects on the impact of his Filipino heritage on his illustrations, and his musing on how neurodivergence might be different in a world which valued and elevated brain difference, rather than viewed it as an impairment.
A powerful book, told with gentleness, sweetness and sensitivity. This is my favourite picture book of the year.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 169/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

October 13 2021

There’s a Ghost in This House, by Oliver Jeffers

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There’s a Ghost in This House, by Oliver Jeffers

Title: There’s a Ghost in This House
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Genre/ issues: Picture book

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

What a delightful book! There’s a Ghost in This House by @oliverjeffers takes us on a journey through a house which on the face of it, appears to be largely empty. The young girl who lives there is convinced it’s haunted, but she’s not actually ever seen a ghost. As we turn the pages, though, we get a glimpse of some of her ghostly housemates. Translucent pages add additional layers to the existing beautiful artwork. Did you know that the collective noun for a group of ghosts is “a Fraid of ghosts”? Neither did I, but that’s just one of the joys I discovered in this beautiful picture book. Stunning.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 168/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

July 27 2021

Another pile of picture books

Picture booksTitle: The inheritance
Author: Armin Greder
Genre/ issues: Capitalism. Greed.

Title: Flight
Author: Nadia Wheatley
Illustrator: Armin Greder
Genre/ issues: Refugee journeys.

Title: If the world were 100 people
Author: Jackie McCann
Illustrator: Aaron Cushley
Genre/ issues: World issues.

Title: The lost girl
Author: Ambelin Kwaymullina
Illustrator: Leanne Tobin
Genre/ issues: Aboriginal stories. Connection with the land. Family.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Some more picture books- and Armin Greder continues to cement himself as one of the most profoundly thought provoking picture book artists with his new offering, Inheritance. His stark and grim illustrations examine the impact of multinational corporations who are focused on cementing their own financial legacy, rather than demonstrating any awareness of their impact on the world and its future. A bleak and uncompromising view of corporate greed and power.
I unpacked a box the other day, in the hunt for a document, and found Greder’s collaboration with Nadia Wheatley, Flight. Examining the journey of a couple and their infant child in search of safety, there are initial allusions to the biblical story of Mary and Joseph following the star, but we then see the horror our refugee characters are fleeing from, and the uncertainty they find themselves in at the end of their flight to freedom – a camp, still yearning for freedom and home. A really powerful picture book.
The whole “let’s look at how the world would look if it were just 100 people” isn’t a new concept, but my third picture book for the day does a really wonderful job breaking down this metaphor and conveying it in pictographic illustrations with engaging and accessible text. Analysing proportionate data from appearance to lifestyle, education to environment, and access to resources such as housing, food, wealth and water, it’d be a great way to discuss global community with younger readers from Jackie McCann and Aaron Cushley.
And finally, Ambelin Kwaymullina’s and Leanne Tobin’s The Lost Girl. This was another box find, and its lovely. A young Aboriginal girl gets lost, and until she finds her human family is cared for by her surroundings, her Mother Earth. Rich, vibrant and earthy illustrations support Kwaymullina’s heartfelt and delightful narrative. I’m glad I rediscovered this one!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 108, 112-114/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

July 24 2021

Pirate Stew, by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

Pirate Stew

Pirate Stew, by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

Title: Pirate Stew
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Comedy.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell are possibly my favourite storyteller/illustrator combination. I heard Neil read Pirate Stew at his show in Perth last February, just before the world went mad, and I knew without question that Chris’ illustrations would be perfect. I was not wrong. A delightful tale of 2 siblings whose babysitters turn out to be pirates, and when dinner time arrives, their go-to recipe is for the eponymous pirate stew. The only problem? When you eat pirate stew, you become a pirate too! This is not what the children want, do they avoid consuming the concoction – but they do go on an epic piratical adventure! A jolly delight.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 110/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

July 8 2021

Story Doctors, by Boori Monty Pryor and Rita Sinclair

Story doctors

Story Doctors, by Boori Monty Pryor and Rita Sinclair

Title: Story Doctors
Author: Boori Monty Pryor
Illustrator: Rita Sinclair
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Indigenous stories.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I usually post a pile of picture books at a time, but this one is worth sharing separately. Story Doctors by Boori Monty Pryor and Rita Sinclair examines the enduring power of stories to unite us and how nature connects us, through the long and deep history of Indigenous connection to and relationship with the

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 land. It reflects on the ability of nature and humanity to heal, both itself and ourselves. The powerful poetic message is supported by rich and evocative illustrations. A wonderful read for #naidocweek.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 106/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

June 22 2021

A pile of picture books

 

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Picture booksTitle: Eyes that kiss in the corners
Author: Joanna Ho
Illustrator: Dung Ho
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Asian representation. Diversity and acceptance.

Title: I am every good thing
Author: Derrick Barnes
Illustrator: Gordon C James
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Black excellence. 

Title: I am perfectly designed
Author: Karamo Brown
Illustrator:
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Family. Self esteem.

📚Eyes That Kiss in the Corners  a love story to family connections and to celebrating oneself. A young girl notices her eyes are different to her friends … but her eyes kiss in the corners and shine glow like warm tea, crinkle like crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future. It’s a beautiful book, and one is highly recommend.

📚I Am Every Good Thing is a powerful celebration of Black boyhood, of all the amazing features that make each individual special and unique and wonderful. Stunning artwork, and a powerful emphasis on the importance of recognising your place in the community of strong men who have come before you.

📚And continuing the theme of “books which celebrate YOU”, I am Perfectly Designed. Super sweet illustrations with a diverse range of skin colours represented, it tells the story of a conversation between a father and son reminiscing on their past experiences together, and about how perfectly designed they are for each other and for the role they play in the world. So lovely, it’s be a wonderful text to read with someone you love to remind them how special they are.
Picture books setTitle: Oona
Author: Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrator:
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Fantasy. Exploration

Title: Ernest the Elephant
Author: Anthony Browne
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Exploration. Family. 

Title: Small in the city
Author: Sydney Smith
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Isolation. City life.

📚Oona is a fabulous mermaid with an appetite for adventure, by @kellydipucchio and @rizzyfig. She spends her time treasure hunting with her pal Otto, and she’s got her eye on a particularly sparkly treasure, but it lurks too far down in the deep for her to reach. Does she look like that’s going to stop her, though? I adore this book, and I’m always enthralled by illustrations that are obviously 2d but convey such a sense of movement and life. This is a gem!

📚The Shape Game by Anthony Browne is one of my favourite picture books to teach, so when I saw Ernest the Elephant I knew I’d be adding it to my pile. Ernest is on a trek with his family when he spots the forest, and despite warnings from his mother, he decides to go exploring … but of course he gets lost! Vibrant, engaging, and as full of life and hidden adventures as you would expect from this master artist.
📚Small in the City, by Sydney Smith. Wow. It’s hard to capture in a brief description what this book is about, because the deceptively simple narrative about being lost in the city is so multilayered and complex. It’s visually stunning, and lends itself to a number of rereadings as you get lost alongside our protagonist. This could definitely be a favourite for the year.
I didn’t select these three books to be posted together for any particular reason, but now I’m realising that they all have the overarching theme of finding your way in your world as someone small – in the ocean, forest or city, there’s always a place for the littlest of us. If you’re after a book for a little person in your life, you can’t go wrong with any of these, but I’d perhaps recommend Smith’s as suitable for older readers as well. It’s be a great text for visual analysis in an upper primary context I think!

Picture booksTitle: Where the heart is
Author: Irma Gold
Illustrator:
Genre/ issues: Picture books. True story. Environment.

Title: Hike
Author: Pete Oswald
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Worldless. Family. 

Title: Leilong the library bus
Author: Julia Liu
Illustrator: Bei Lynn
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Libraries. Stories.

Title: The art of words
Author: Robert Vescio
Illustrator: Joanna Bartel
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Words and language.

📚Where The Heart Is, by @irma.gold and @oh.susannah.illustration is the beautiful story of Bindim, a young penguin who washes up on the beach in Brazil and is rescued by Joao who nursed him back to health. Based on a true story, it’s a lovely celebration of the power of friendship, and it’s so beautifully illustrated!
📚Hike by @peteoswald follows a father and son on a hike. Almost completely wordless apart from some onomatopoeiaic words, it’s utterly lovely, displaying both the beauty of nature and of the bond between parent and child. Stunning.
📚I can’t resist a picture book about libraries. A dinosaur library book? Hell yes! Leilong the Library Bus by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn sees Leilong try to join his friends at Storytime – but he doesn’t have a library card and is too big to successfully follow the rules! A super cute book which emphasises that libraries are for everyone.
📚The Art of Words by Robert Vescio and Joanna Bartel is my favourite kind of book – one that celebrates the magic and power of words, with a nod to the important role that punctuation can play in how we engage with words. An absolute gem.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 85-94/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 19 2021

Give me some space!, by Philip Bunting

National Simultaneous Storytime

Give me some space!, by Philip Bunting

Title: Give me some space!
Author: Philip Bunting
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Space.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I love @alianational’s National Simultaneous Storytime, and it was extra exciting this year to be able to tune in to Storytime from Space! As well as the #1MillionKidsReading in schools and libraries around Australia, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker read @philip.bunting’s Give Me Some Space from the @iss. It’s a thrill to add this to my #2021readingchallenge tally. If you missed it, it’s not too late – check out the recording on YouTube!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 62/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 11 2021

Where’s My Cow? by Terry Pratchett

Where's My Cow?

Where’s My Cow? by Terry Pratchett

Title: Where’s My Cow?
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre/ issues: Picture book. Discworld. Comedy.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I mentioned a little while ago that Where’s My Cow was the only book I’d not tracked down for my #discworld collection. Today, it arrived in the mail – an unbirthday gift from Jacob’s mother as part of a special collection of assorted presents for Jacob and the kids. It gave me such joy to open it, and to read it before we headed in to campus this morning.
A story about a story that turns into another story – Sam Vimes delights in reading Sam Jr his favourite bedtime book, but soon gets frustrated with how far removed it is from Sam Jr’s reality. So, like many parents before him, he makes some slight …. modifications to the tale.
I love Vimes, and I was delighted to see Lady Sibyl make an appearance in this. Thank you, Belinda Hill, this is a much-loved addition to my collection.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 54/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara