Age 8+

A Christmas Carol

17 November 2009 by Lou · Leave a Comment

Ned’s dad and I were watching At the Movies the other night when Margaret and David reviewed the new animated – Performance Capture animation - film version of A Christmas Carol. We both agreed that we thought the story was very dark and not really appropriate for little kids, although maybe many people will be drawn in by the fact that it is animated – so beautifully. I guess it is the same question about audience that has been debated with the Spike Jonze film version of Where the Wild Things Are.

A Christmas Carol is a dark and grim story that I have never really related to Christmas even though that is the theme of the novel. There have been countless film adaptations of Scrooge and his redemption and my main memory is of the Disney charcter version with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Today I saw this book trailer for a version of A Christmas Carol illustrated by the amazing Brett Helquist.

I cannot think of a more appropriate illustrator for this classic story, his Scrooge reminds me a bit of Count Olaf! Having not ever owned a copy of the Dickens story (although this one is an adaptation) I think this will be the version I lash out and buy this Christmas because although it’s grim I think it’s one I should have.

Filed Under: Age 8+, Christmas, Classics, Illustrators, Picture books

Clementine

22 July 2009 by admin · 2 Comments

We haven’t often reviewed books for the over-8s at We Heart Books, but over the next few months we will be including a few more, and adding some new books for over-8s in our store too. This time we are very lucky to have had Georgia (aged 11) write this review for us of Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine. Georgia was given a copy of by her aunt Lisa who also contributes to this guest post …

Georgia writes:

I had a great time reading this book. As soon as I got home I started reading it, and finished it really quickly. The trouble Clementine got into reminded me of Judy Moody. It says something about her on the back of Clementine. My favourite chapters were 4, 5 and 9, besides the first chapter. My favourite part I can’t say because it will spoil the story for you but some really funny ones I can tell you, like Clementine has a war with a flock of pigeons and she thinks she’s growing a beard like her Dad. When her Mum scrubs her head Clementine says to herself, “No more cartwheels, just in case my brains fall out ‘cause of the big hole she made.”
I really want to read the second book Talented Clementine, it sounds good too.

Aunt Lisa (also mum to Finn and Daisy) writes:

I loved reading this series, and had to send them to my niece Georgia to read.
They’re beautifully realised, humorous tales, in the best tradition of feisty, funny and unique characters like Pippi Longstocking and Judy Moody. There are some important and wonderful messages about being your unique self, but it’s not heavy handed. Clementine’s parents sometimes despair of the results, but always encourage Clementine’s problem solving and creative thinking skills. Marla Frazee’s fabulous illustrations add weight to the reader’s impression of Clementine’s restless energy and quirkiness.

Sara Pennypacker has beautifully captured the voice and motivations of an unusual pre-teen in all three of the Clementine books. I laughed out loud more than once, especially at Clementine’s well-intentioned hairdressing escapades, her vocal duels with a harassed school principal and her creative refusals to use her baby brother’s real name. When was the last time an adult book made you laugh out loud on the tram ‘til people looked at you?

Boys will love how she gets into trouble, girls will admire her ability to get out it! Highly recommended for readers from Year 3 to Year 5.

Interview with Sara Pennypacker

||Also in the series Clementine’s Letter and The Talented Clementine||

Filed Under: Age 8+

When We Were Little…

21 June 2009 by Katie · 5 Comments

penny-pollards-diary

Robin Klein is indelibly linked with my memories of primary school years. The school ballot for Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Awards, waiting lists for books at our library, and swapping favourite books with my friends – all these aspects of my late primary school years feature Robin Klein’s books.

Klein’s series of Penny Pollard books stand out as being some of my favourite books of primary school, starting with Penny Pollard’s Diary. It’s written in the irresistable style of a diary by 10-year-old Penny, who hates pink, loves horses and is definitely not the teacher’s pet. Penny meets the equally idiosyncratic Mrs Edith Bettany (‘Mrs B’) on a school excursion to an old people’s home, and this first book follows the development of their friendship. There are some fabulously funny passages as the two swap stories.

Mrs B told me she used to have a carpet snake for a pet when she was my age and lived in the bush. Wow! Next to a horse, a snake would be the best pet ever! Told Mrs Bettany about when I was in kindergarten and I wanted a pet snake and mum kept saying Santa might bring one. And that Christmas I found a stupid big patchwork stuffed snake under Christmas tree. Mrs Bettany agreed it must have been a terrible disappointment. I told her about trying to flush patchwork snake down loo only it wouldn’t fit. She said when she lived in the bush they kept a stick to kill real snakes with next to their loo because it was miles down backyard. Told her there weren’t miles any more, only kilometres.

Mrs B appreciates Penny’s taste for double-headed lime Interplanteary Missiles from the milkbar and in turn Penny learns about how different – and how similar – life was growing up in the 1920s. And unexpectedly, both gain much from their unusual friendship. The feelings of not always living up to expectations and of being a bit different to everyone else are concepts that most primary school kids can relate to, and I think it is this aspect that my friends and I all loved so much in Robin Klein’s writing.

penny-pollards-diary-page

The diary is made to look ‘real’ with sketch drawings, photos and hand-drawn maps – all annotated by Penny. The illustrations are actually by Ann James, who does an amazingly convincing job. The original design is an exercise book-sized production, and the cover design graffiti no doubt inspired my own secret diary cover which I started in Grade 5 (and which I surprisingly managed to find this evening… The big question is: where is the key?!).

my-secret-diary

For some reason, the Penny Pollard books went out of print for many years, and I remember when working in bookshops being asked for them many, many times. They were thankfully re-issued by Hachette Australia in 2004 – but unfortunately (in my opinion) the format was not retained and they are now regular sized mass market paperbacks. As I had only borrowed copies when I first read them, I felt very lucky when I found the first two books from the series at the Lake Daylesford Book Barn a few years ago. Just a couple more books that I will treasure…

Filed Under: Age 8+, Australian, Authors, When we were little...

Wave

24 June 2008 by Lou · 2 Comments

One of the things I used to love about working in bookstores was when new boxes arrived from publishers. It was like Christmas every month, the anticipation and the joy of finding out what was inside.

Now I get that feeling when I walk into a bookshop to see what is new on the shelves and also when I’m browsing the internet, checking out other peoples blogs for new and exciting books.

A couple of days a go I came across Suzy Lee on Amazon. The book is Wave and it is wordless.

Suzy Lee is amazing and I must now have Wave on my bookshelf; have a look at her website here to learn more about this very gorgeous artist.

Wordless picture books are of course an art because the whole story must be conveyed convincingly in the illustrations. They are very important in education for prompting children to learn how to interpret stories and also to recognise a beginning, middle and end in story telling. Wordless books are great at home as well; younger children can enjoy explaining what is happening in the illustrations and older children can take it further by imagining alternate endings and additional plot lines. Wordless picture books are rewarding.

weheartbooks top 5 wordless picture books

1. Up and Up (Shirley Hughes)

I love Shirley Hughes and one of my favorite books as a child was Dogger, or David and the Dog as it is known in the USA (I’ll post about that one another time). She is one of the best known children’s author/illustrators in the world. Set out in comic strip style Up and Up consists of black line drawings against a sepia background. The story of a little girl who longs to fly, it is purely magical as you follow her journey: she gets her wish and off she goes up and up. Her personality is infectious and she always makes me smile as she drifts along until she is finally rescued by a man in a hot air balloon. There is so much to look at in this book which makes it a great tool for encouraging children to make up their own stories. It doesn’t even have to be about the main character, you could make up different stories for the others she meets along the way. Ages 3+

2. The Arrival (Shaun Tan)

Well I just think this award winning book is incredible, in fact Shaun Tan is incredible. The Arrival depicts the journey of a man who leaves home for a strange, fantastical land in order to support his family. The hundreds of drawings Tan worked on for this stunning book are partly a reflection of his own father’s journey to Australia and his struggle to fit into an alien culture. More than a book The Arrival is an awe-inspiring artwork; every time I pick it up I find new and amazing elements that I had missed before. Ages 8+

3. The Snowman (Raymond Briggs)

Regarded as a cult classic this picture book tells a story in pictures – 175 frames to be exact – of the one night friendship of a boy and his snowman. The boy lovingly creates the man out of snow and when he looks out of his window that night he discovers the snowman is alive. They take each other on a tour of their worlds, the boy of his house and the snowman of his wintery world. In the morning when the boy wakes up the snowman is gone, he has melted and all that is left are pieces of coal. This book is all about the joy of exploring and discovering new things, it is about new friendships and then the fond memories of those friendships. This book really does give children the opportunity to imagine their own ending to the story. 4+

4. Sunshine and Moonlight (Jan Omerod)

These are favorites of mine from childhood, I can remember borrowing them from the school library numerous times. In the last few years they have been re-published and are just as beautiful as I remember them way back in primary school. Sunshine follows the progression of a little girl’s day as she gets up out of bed and begins her daily routine. My favorite scenes are when she hops into bed with her parents while they read their morning papers; everyone in this house has a routine and they all fit into each other’s. Toddlers can compare their routine in the morning before childcare/preschool with this little girl’s. Jan includes so much detail that this is perfect for beginning discussion with children about their own routines. Sunshine won the Australian Children’s Book of the Year Award in 1982. Moonlight is similar to Sunshine but of course follows the routine on the other end of the day; cleaning teeth, bathtime and bed. Ages 2+

5. Tuesday (David Wiesner)

Reading Tuesday is like watching an M. Night Shyamalan film; it is weird, quirky, funny and enthralling. On this particular Tuesday around 8 in the evening a strange thing begins to happen, suddenly frogs/toads start to invade the town levitating on lily pads and seemingly having a great time. The frogs eventually return to their rightful homes BUT the big surprise is what is going to happen on the following Tuesday? Tuesday won the prestigious Caldecott Medal and Wiesner’s amazing speech is here. I love this quote from that speech

Fortunately, kids know funny when they see it. If, after reading Tuesday one evening before bed, they look out the window and see frogs flying by—well, we should all be so lucky.

Wiesner’s art is incredible and I can guarantee that parents will love this as much as their children. Ages 4+

Although we have used some very classic choices here there is also room for a special mention for the fantastic wordless books by wonderful Australian illustrator Gregory Rogers, The Boy, the Bear, the Baron and the Bard and sequel Midsummer Knight. Ages 6+

Filed Under: Age 2+, Age 3+, Age 4+, Age 6+, Age 8+, Art, Australian, Classics, Illustrators, Picture books, Top 5

Earth Day 2008

22 April 2008 by Lou · Leave a Comment

With so much awareness now of environmental issues here are our favorite green children’s books…

1. The Lorax (Dr. Seuss)

The original and the best children’s book about the perils of destroying your environment with greed and selfishness. “UNLESS someone like you…cares a whole awful lot…nothing is going to get better…It’s not.” Of course this picture book is typical Dr Seuss with wild tongue twisting rhymes and technicolour illustrations that almost require sunglasses to look at but it is also probably Seuss’ most important and prophetic work. The Once-ler describes how he has decimated the Loraxs’ habitat with deforestation and air and water pollution to set up his manufacturing plants, leading to the poor Loraxs’ extinction. Check out the Lorax Earth Day website- help the real Lorax forests.

2. Weslandia (Paul Fleischman and Kevin Hawkes)

This beautiful picture book is so very important in many ways. Protagonist Wesley is bullied at school because he doesn’t conform to what his peers consider normal, for example he doesn’t like pizza! While he is on school holidays and with no friends to play with he decides to create himself a self sustainable civilisation. He uses a plot of earth and grows a crop of ‘swist’ a plant of his own creation that takes off soon towering above him and and bearing bizarre looking fruit. Soon Wesley discovers that he can use his strange crop as a multitude of things including clothing and shelter thus creating his ‘Weslandia’. Kevin Hawkes beautifully illustrates Wesley’s utopia giving little children a lavish landscape to admire while older children will grasp the themes of environment and social conscience.

3. We are the Weather Makers : The story of Global Warming (Tim Flannery)

This revised and updated version of Australian Tim Flannery’s best selling book on climate change is for a young adult audience, the children who it seems will inherit all these environmental issues from previous generations. This is science without all the jargon, in depth Flannery explains all the problems regarding the climate and also explores the solutions but all in a way that is easy to digest and understand. It is broken into chapters on each issue and has been printed in an excellent easy to read type. Marketed for an audience of 9 to 90 this is a great introduction to the world we live in today.

4. Scarlette Beane (Karen Wallace and Jon Berkeley)

The acrylic illustrations in this picture book are just so gorgeous. Scarlette is adorable with her face as red as a beet and little green fingers. On her fifth birthday she receives a small garden all of her own and begins to plant. Her vegies grow and grow until her whole neighborhood is enjoying the spoils. This is a beautiful sweet tale of ecology, friendship and sharing good food. Children love identifying objects and in this picture book there are plenty of vegetables to point at and name as well as showing them how plants grow.

5. Uno’s Garden (Graeme Base)

And of course funny little Uno! Winner of the The Wilderness Society Picture Book of the Year 2007, they described Uno’s Garden like this “Uno’s Garden is a lively and lavishly detailed picture book about environmental sustainability. A whimsical imaginary landscape demonstrates the importance of learning from past mistakes to ensure a balanced and liveable future“. See Katie’s fab post here about the Uno’s Garden Myer windows last Christmas.

And mummy is reading this!

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, it’s a fascinating imagining of what would happen to the planet if humans disappeared.

Filed Under: Age 3+, Age 8+, Environment, Non-fiction, Picture books, Top 5, World

Varmints

15 April 2008 by Katie · 3 Comments

I came across this beautiful new book the other day, by Helen Ward and Marc Craste. This book is one that straddles the border between picture book and graphic novel, and is no doubt intended for an older audience than the traditional picture book.(This genre is also being explored with great success by Australian author and illustrator, Shaun Tan, whose book The Arrival has won a host of awards here and overseas.)

The illustrations in Varmints are incredibly evocative, and have been done by film-maker Marc Craste, whose debut short film, Jo Jo in the Stars won the 2004 BAFTA Best Animated Short Film. Marc lends Varmints a wonderfully cinematic feel: the use of tracing paper and even the elements of gloss on the cover give it a feeling of movement, and there is an amazing sense of filmic perspective on the angles taken in the illos.

The text is lyrical and poignant, and works perfectly alongside the images.

Varmints tackles the theme of environmental degradation, and it reminds me a bit of both Dr Seuss’s The Lorax (the ultimate greenie book for kids written long before eco-matters were a daily news item) and Graeme Base’s Uno’s Garden (reviewed by me here).

This is a beautiful book for collectors, and I couldn’t resist it. (I had in mind that I might give it to someone, but by the time I got it home, couldn’t imagine who it would suit better than, well, me!)

Filed Under: Age 8+, Environment, Illustrators, Picture books