Beatle Meets destiny

I have a cousin whose middle name is Lennon. When I first found out I had to clarify whether it was Lennon or Lenin because really I wouldn't have been surprised either way. My middle name is Leanne and I got quite a bit of shtick for that, so I can only imagine what sort of a ribbing he got. But to paraphrase the back of this book:

Imagine your name was John Lennon, only everyone called you Beatle.
And then you meet your dream girl and her name is Destiny McCartney.
But what if you were already with the perfect girl?

Beatle's life is complicated and not just because of the new developments in his love life. Everyday his mother reads him two horoscopes because even though Beatle is a twin he was born six weeks before his sister. Confused? There's more. His girlfriend Cilla is his sister's best friend. Bad idea. And his sister has started dating Destiny's brother. It seems like it's only a matter of time before world's collide.
Beatle and Destiny are likable characters with a strong supporting cast. Also scattered through the book are stories about twins and scientific studies on superstitions, a stalker, a theft, a kidnapped moggy and a pair of missing knickers. It's quirky and fun with a bit of teen relationship angst but nary a vampire in sight. What a relief!

Old School

I don't remember Where The Wild Things Are being read to me when I was little. I remember other books, one about Frog and Toad and the illustrated version of Little Women but not that one. Other baby boomer mums and dads were wild about it as I learnt once discussing kids books with two boomer aunts. I had just expressed my love for picture books and they sighed "ah.......Max".
My response was," Oh, yes Max," and a similar sigh.
Then they said, "I'll eat you up and I thought, "huh?" because we were of course talking about two different Max's. Mine was the Max from Bob Graham's Max about a budding superhero who is taking a little while to find his wings. It's a really delightful read.
And of course the other Max my aunties were talking about was Max from WTWTA who is truly naughty and scary little monster .
I had purchased WTWTA almost out of obligation due to its status as a modern classic. To my shame I brought it home and placed it on the shelf where it languished for a long time. Occasionally I would take it down and read it but its beauty eluded me. I had tried reading it to Jack when he was quite small and it had not been a big hit. And then earlier this year he got it down off the shelf and we gave it another try. The first go I was a bit clumsy but then as I read it again, and I found the secret is to read it quietly and slowly, Jack and I fell in love and I came to appreciate why this book is such a classic. The language is understated, and yet conveys so much and I love the idea that a little boy is so naughty that he can become the king of all wild things and scare them (when they really are a very scary bunch of monsters). Once you find the right rhythm it's a lovely book to read and to get lost in the Maurice Sendak's detailed illustrations. There's a reason why some books are classics and this is certainly one of them.

Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Isbn 9780370007724
Published by Random House

Max
by Bob Graham
Isbn 9780744598278
Published by Walker Books

Things that make you go hmmm......

I have a confession, I am rather childish and I think farts are, well, funny. I am delighted that my two and a half year old son agrees with me. And he is delighted by my rather impressive collection of kid's books on all things scatological. I started acquiring them a while ago because they were very funny indeed. I got in just when they were taking off and was generally regarded in the bookshop I worked in as the expert on this genre. And you would be surprised how often I was called upon to share my knowledge. So taking into account my expertise and puerile sense of humour, I thought I'd share some of my favourites because all poo books are not created equally.























I guess it all started with The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was None of his Business which is very funny, nicely written (with a particularly lovely description of a goat) and the illustrations are very well done. For those unaware of the delights of the book it is about a little mole who pokes his head out of his hole one morning and an animal poos on his head (where it remains throughout the book like a very smelly beret). Unfortunately the mole is shortsighted so he doesn't know who has committed this heinous act so he walks up to animals asking if they did 'this' on his head. The animals all respond with a no, I do it like this (or a variation on that line) and so the reader gets an education on the variety and appearance of animal dung and a laugh at the same time. With the help of two flies the little mole is on his way to solving the mystery and exacting his revenge. It's good fun and gross and maybe even educational (though that may be stretching things). It also comes as a version with a book and a mole soft toy (complete with 'hat') and there is a 'plop-up' version but I found the paper engineering a little unimaginative considering the possibilities the story provides.
Another book that came out at the same time was Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi. The title sums it up but it does get the idea across to children that we all do it, though not in the same way or quantity. It mentions toilets and potties and nappies so is probably a good book for little people beginning to get interested in potty training. Zoo Poo is another book in a similar vein written with toilet training in mind, so not as many laughs but nice illustrations.
Who's in the Loo follows the same theme with people queuing for the toilet at a zoo and two anxious children imagining who could be taking so long. Lovely rhymes such as,

"A wandering wombat who needed a widdle?
A waddling penguin too frozen to piddle?"

are accompanied by colourful illustrations and an ending that is surprising if only for its innocence.
There are lots of picture books now like the above that are aimed at the toilet training market. Some are clever, like the book that is also a paper doll that sits up on the edge of a potty, but others are copying an original concept (like the Little Mole) and giving it their own twist. Peekapoo falls into that category. It has a similar concept to the mole, but this time a little mouse in a nappy asks his fellow animals to look in their nappies to see what their poo looks like. As the book ends the other animals demand to see inside the mouse's nappy and are surprised that it is empty. The mouse explains very proudly that he uses a potty and then all the animals want to try. My son loves this book and he and I have laughed alot when we've read it due to the lift the flap nappies. The text is pretty awful, so we just make the story up as we go and keep flipping those nappy flaps. And laughing.
Not educational at all, but highly amusing is The Fly. It starts with a fly getting ready for a swim packing his bag with sunscreen, a towel and a ball. He arrives at the pool and starts to swim but suddenly the sky grows dark and the fly (with good reason) becomes scared. The shadow is cast by a bottom and soon something "huge, enormous, as big as a football stadium" is coming straight towards the fly. The text is written with a light hand, letting the illustrations do the talking. And the illustrations are great. They are created from a combination of materials that would seem strange; textiles, cardboard, metal screws and clay, but they work together well to produce lots of groans, giggles and snorts. My son loves this book, but so too do lots of older kids (and adults).
And so to the Walter The Farting Dog series of Books. I resisted them for a long time, and I still can't say that I've embraced them all, but we do have a well read copy of Walter The Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise, where the flatulent Walter is banished below decks only to consume a large block of stinky, catastrophically fart inducing cheese that results in his being exiled. However as always in this series, when disaster strikes Walter saves the day. The Walter books are humorously written, with a nice moral about embracing difference and overcoming adversity (ie flatulence) but I've just never liked the computer generated drawings. Our chief book reviewer doesn't seem to mind them though and is always happy to revisit a Walter adventure. In fact we just did.
Which brings me to Smelly Bertie. Bertie first appeared as Dirty Bertie , which had very simple repetitive text. Smelly Bertie is more complex and funnier. Bertie gets in trouble with his parents, grandmother and sister for farting and is told that it is not, polite or nice. Bertie rages against the unfairness of it all, knowing that he is not the only one who farts,
"When Mum lets off a poot, she coughs at the same time to cover it up. When Dad lets off he's so sneaky..you don't know what's coming until it hits you."
And so on. It's hilarious, not at all educational (unless you count learning synonyms for fart) and as the author says in his dedication it is for "everyone who has ever laughed at their own trumps!"
All of the above are picture books, but as we know the appeal of farts, bums and poo don't wear off when we start reading chapter books. The Captain Underpants books always rate a mention because of their high grossness quotient and are also good for reluctant readers who might like their comic book style. And then there is the trilogy by Andy Griffiths starting with the Day my Bum went Psycho. Andy deserves a medal for outstanding services to bum jokes as he really gets the mileage out of as many toilet jokes and puns as possible. Funny, well of course they are funny, but surprisingly they also have good plots and nicely drawn characters. Again they are also good for reluctant readers (though older than the captain underpants audience) or anyone with a sense of humour.

The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was None of his Business
Written by Wolf Erlbruch and illustrated by Werner Holzwarth
Isbn 9780732256494
Harper Collins

Everyone Poops
by Taro Gomi
Isbn 9781845072582
TL Distribution

Zoo Poo
by Richard Morgan
Isbn 9780099456520
Random House Australia

Who's in the Loo
Written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Adrian Reynolds
Isbn 9781842706985
Random House Australia

Peek-a-poo
by Genechten Guido
Isbn 9781408800195
Allen and Unwin

The Fly
by Gusti
Isbn 9781741750812
Penguin Books Australia

Walter The Farting Dog Goes on A Cruise
Written by William Kotzwinkle, Glenn Murray and Elizabeth Gundy
and illustrated by Audrey Colman
Isbn 9780143501961
Penguin books Australia

Dirty Bertie
by David Roberts
Isbn 9780864614438
Scholastic Books

Smelly Bertie
by David Roberts
Isbn 9780864616241
Scholastic Books

Captain Underpants #1
by Dave Pilkey
Isbn 9780590846288
Scholastic

The Day my Bum Went Psycho
by Andy Griffiths
Isbn 9780330362924
Pan Macmillan Australia

Zombie Bums from Uranus
by Andy Griffiths
Isbn 9780330364256
Pan Macmillan Australia

Bumageddon: the Final Pongflict
by Andy Griffiths
Isbn 9780330421973
Pan Macmillan Australia

Grrrr.............

A friend asked me recently for ideas on books to read aloud to her eight year old boy. She wanted something exciting that would capture her son's imagination, something they would both enjoy. I immediately thought of Zizou Corder's Lionboy.
As it begins, Charlie Ashanti leads a normal life in current day London or so it seems until his mother writes him a letter in her own blood and then disappears along with his father. Charlie being a bright lad is then suspicious when a local tough Rafi turns up claiming that all is well and that Charlie should go with him. The first reason is that his mother's laboratory door has been left wide open, not locked as it normally is. The second reason is that the cats have told him that his parents have been abducted. Charlie can speak cat and his parents who are scientists are held in very high esteem by the world's cat population.
Lionboy is actually set in an unspecified time in the future. Some things remain the same but others have changed forever. Fuel has almost run out so cars are rarely used with boats the most common mode of transport. Cats are public enemy number one because they have (allegedly) caused the asthma epidemic that is affecting children all over the empire. Charlie's parents have been working on an asthma cure before they are kidnapped.
Charlie escapes and sets off to find his parents. He stows away on a police launch which becomes entangled with an enormous and musical scarlet ship called the Circe. Charlie is taken aboard and finds that he is on a circus ship that is heading to Paris, which is where his parents are being taken. Not just any circus though as his new employer Major Thibaudet points out, it is, " Thibaudet's Royal Floating Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy" or Tib's Gallimaufry. Amongst the bearded lady and funambulists and trick monkeys it's not long before he finds the circus lions and meets their Lion Trainer, the chilling Maccomo and his plan to find his parents now has another part, to help the lions escape.
Lionboy is a cracker read as Charlie, with the help of the cats, races to find his parents before Rafi finds him and to free the lions. It has quirky illustrations with minute details and also some music that was specifically written for the book. The only problem is that as the tempo picks up as Charlie attempts to escape into Paris with six very large lions, you become aware that the number of pages left couldn't possibly be enough to finish the story satisfactorily. Which is why it comes as a relief to learn that the book is part of a trilogy. It's a good idea to have the next book ready to go as soon as you finish the first.

Lionboy
by Zizou Corder
Isbn 9780141317267
Published by Penguin

Lionboy:the Chase
Isbn 9780141317564
Published by Penguin

Lionboy: The Truth
Isbn 9780141317571
Published by Penguin

Layla Queen of Hearts

When I worked in a bookshop customers would often ask for help finding kids' books to help them deal with something that had happened. Sometimes it was hard to find just the right book that dealt with the subject well, but was also going to be attractive to a child. Some issues books, whilst being very worthy are stultifying boring or very unattractive.
Margaret Wild was usually our 'go to girl' for issue books. A beautiful writer who attracts similarly talented illustrators, she has written books on a plethora of matters including the death of a beloved grandmother (Old Pig), depression (Pat The Cat and Sailor Sam), trust and friendship (Fox), isolation and loneliness (Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa), the death of a family pet
(Harry and Hopper) and nursing homes (the Bilbies of Bliss). The thing that I love about her books is that though they tackle some really tough concepts, they are beautiful books in their own right.
The same goes for Glenda Millard's Layla Queen of Hearts and the other books in the Kingdom of Silk trilogy. Beautifully written and with lovely illustrations, they are truly special books. I actually read the first book (the Naming of Tishkin Silk) because I loved the title, not realising that it is a book about the loss of a newborn and how the Silk family grieve and cope with their loss.

Griffin’s daddy used to say that Layla had been sent to comfort them after Tishkin went away; like an arm about their shoulders, a candle in the dark or like golden syrup dumplings for the soul.

The last book in the trilogy, Perry Angel's Suitcase deals with the arrival of a foster child in the Silk family and is also a lovely read.
Layla Queen of Hearts focuses on Layla, the best friend of Griffin Silk. When Layla finds out that there is to be a Senior Citizen's day at school she is worried about who she can take as her own grandmother has only recently passed away. Griffin offers that she can share his gorgeous, lamington baking grandmother Nell, but Layla wants someone of her own. So together they draw up a list of 'likely candidates'. Unfortunately all of these are unavailable so Nell suggests a lady called Miss Amelie, their 'last resort'. A visit to meet her is arranged and Griffin and Nell accompany Layla in her best 'Queen of Hearts' dress to meet Miss Amelie. It soon becomes obvious that something is not quite right with Miss Amelie and Nell later explains to the children that Miss Amelie is " a bit forgetful and she gets muddled'. In spite of this Layla is convinced that Miss Amelie will accompany her to school and that they will become friends.

This is a beautifully written book that deals sensitively with the subjects of dementia and aging. The combination of Glenda Millard's writing and the whimsical artwork of Stephen Michael King make this a delight to read and while it may cause you to shed a tear or two, it was also make you feel like you've just had a bowl of Nell's golden syrup dumplings.
Suitable for 7-10 year olds.




Old Pig
written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Ron Brooks
ISBN 9781863736794
Published by Penguin Books

Pat The Cat and Sailor Sam
written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by
ISBN 1862915210
Published by Scholastic Australia

Fox
written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Ron Brooks
ISBN 9781864489330
Published by Allen and Unwin

Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa
written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Kerry Argent
ISBN 9780140559026
Published by Penguin Books

Harry and Hopper
written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Freya Blackwood
ISBN 9781862917408
Published by Scholastic Australia

The Naming of Tishkin Silk
written by Glenda Millard and illustrated by Caroline Magerl
ISBN 9780733313141
Published by Harper Collins

Layla Queen of Hearts
written by Glenda Millard and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
ISBN 9780733318429
Published by Harper Collins

Perry Angel's Suitcase
written by Glenda Millard and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
ISBN 9780733322556
Published by Harper Collins

One for the Mums

It's not hard to find a book that kids love and adults hate. My husband feels that way about "the Bear in the Cave" by Michael Rosen. Hates it with a passion. It all started when he heard the author reading the book and just took against it. No matter how well we tried to camouflage the book behind other far more enticing reads it was still a hot favourite for about four agonising months.

Sometimes there's a happy medium where both parties are delighted with the book on offer, where the rhymes fairly sing and the illustrations work and storytime is fun.

And then there are picture books that are not really meant for kids. Babette Cole is an author who comes to mind with her hilarious books about sex, babies, etiquette, flatulence and worms, amongst many other things. My favourite would probably be "Mummy Laid an Egg" where a pair of rather gormless adults try to explain to their kids where they came from with stories about finding them in the cabbage patch. The kids, who are obviously far more switched on, end up saying no, this is how it works and explain the whole thing complete with diagrams. It is very funny, particularly after a glass of wine. As my son is only two I haven't had to give him 'the talk' so I'm not sure how effective it is for that, but in the meantime it is very amusing.

I found Mick Inkpen's very funny book "We are wearing out the naughty step" in a bookshop on Saturday and laughed. Out Loud. Alot. Thank god I didn't snort but I did get some funny looks.

The book is about three kids and one naughty dog who just can't seem to stay out of trouble and each time they do it's straight to the naughty step.

"Today we are on the naughty step because we made Angel (the dog) into a panda."

I started giggling because our big white dog had just been given a paint job of his own. Not Panda eye patches but long green stripes. Just the thing when you are a big white sheepdog.

And so it continues with the kids trying to be good but somehow just not managing it with a hamster getting lost, an elephant given chocolate and a bear's innards becoming outards. When their mum walks in to find them demolishing a chocolate cake she has what we would refer to in our house as a brain explosion and yells,

"I have reached the end of my TETHER!"

and then does something really unexpected and naughty enough to land her on the naughty step, much to her kids' delight.

"We are wearing out the naughty step" is great stress relief for any harried parent with lovely illustrations that complement the text perfectly. I laughed so much when I read it. Then I made my parents read it. Next I'm going to take it to playgroup and make the other parents read it. But I'm not showing my son. I don't want to give him any ideas.

We are wearing out the naughty step by Mick Inkpen

Isbn: 9780340959985

Published by Hodder Children's Books

Mummy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
Isbn:9780099299110
Published by Random House

Again!

I learned a bit about picture books from working in bookshops. I got to know authors and illustrators that I liked (and didn't like) and started a collection. Usually funny, quirky books that appealed to me. Then I started work in a library doing storytime and I quickly learned a lot more. It's not just about the beauty of the pictures, the sparkle of the prose, the wit of the author, if the book doesn't hold their attention, you're toast. And so I changed my mind about some books and hung on to some cherished favourites.

Then I had my own child. We started reading to him while he was still inside what we called the vitamin cake factory (so good he never wanted to come out). We just read the one book, "Hooray for Fish" by Lucy Cousins. We thought this would be a good idea as I was using the illustrations to paint a mural in his room. We live in the country in the eighth year of a drought and thought it would be a good way for him to see some water. I thought he'd pop out and say, "hey this seems very familiar..ah yes the elefish, I've been waiting to meet you."

After he was born we read a selection of books to him, not just baby books with one word a page but whole stories with lots of bright colours and fantastic characters. I still remember lying on the bed with him reading and turning to look at him as he gazed at the book and back to me and back to the book and so on. I've really enjoyed all the stages as he started to interact more with the books; lifting flaps, pulling tabs and turning wheels. Not so keen on the tearing or ripping but that seems to have ceased. And now he selects books from his (large and ever increasing) collection and demands that I read them to him. Then he snuggles in beside me, ready for a story. If it doesn't grab him then he's off to select another. And just lately, if he really likes a story, we get to the end and he says, "again." And we will read it again and again and again.

Now I'm sure that someone has worked out approximately how many stories a parent will read to their child. I figure it's close to a gazillion. So it's also important that the parents enjoy the books too. Finding a book that both the parent and child agree on can be tricky and don't try and hide a book you don't like as they will know. We tried with the "Women's Weekly Kid's Birthday Cookbook" and we were rumbled. And yes I know it's not a traditional picture book but it was the one and only favourite for 3 seemingly never ending groan inducing weeks, "oh look , it's a train cake! Oh yes, a rocket! A bear! A plane! A hula girl!

Our collection is made up of our own books, but also has books that are loaned to us and books that we borrow from the library. Recently we borrowed a book from the library called "But excuse ME THAT is my book" by the very talented Lauren Child. It's one of her Charlie and Lola books and after a month (hmm...may be overdue) we still love it. So much so that I have just purchased a copy to replace the library one when we take it back first thing on Monday morning.

Lola wants to go to the library with her brother Charlie so she can borrow her favourite book, "Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies" again. Charlie tries to persuade her to borrow another book, but she is adamant because it is "the best book in the whole world" and she goes onto explain why.

"you see Charlie, the bugs are quite buggy and the butterflies are really beautiful and the beetles are...very silly".But disaster strikes when they get to the library and can't find the book. Charlie suggests all sorts of other books (encyclopedias, pop up books and books on the Romans) but Lola rejects them all. When the book is finally found, unfortunately in the clutches of another child, Lola has no choice but to find another book. Charlie suggests one that fits her criteria (not too many words, funny, lots of pictures) and Lola begrudgingly agrees to try "Cheetahs and Chimpanzees" and discovers that maybe it is the best book in the whole world.

As well as the funky illustrations and typeface, I love the way that Lauren Child captures the passion that kids can have for a particular book. Fervent and fleeting or as Lola says "there is one book that is extra specially special". And finding a replacement is not easy as kids are discerning and can't always be fobbed off with just anything. There's a lot of text (it's quite wordy but the language is fun and great for reading aloud) and while this has proved a problem in other books, Jack will sit next to me, completely engrossed to the very end and then utter that other magic word "again".

But Excuse me that is my Book by Lauren Child

Isbn: 9780141500539

Published by Penguin Books

Hooray For Fish by Lucy Cousins

Isbn: 9781406301564

Published by Walker Books