#365PictureBooks 70. The Boy and the Toy by Sonya Hartnett, illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

Hartnett, S., & Masciullo, L. (2010). The Boy and the Toy. Melbourne, Australia: Puffin Books.

ISBN: 9780143506041
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

---------------

A young boy's father, having all the best intentions in the world, makes a robotic toy for his son to play with while he is away.  It was the best toy ever and they have so much fun together.  Until that is, the boy wants to read and play with his other toys.  What happens when you combine a robot with feelings of jealousy? 

Hartnett tells a very sophisticated tale weaving together friendship, jealousy and inventiveness in a way 'that explores the meaning of friendship'.  This is a topic that children young and old always have issues with, and it is nice to have a book that is aimed at our more older readers.  

Using the robot as the 'friend that you can never please' and showing the sneaky lengths that some people will go to is a clever idea, however I believe that the message within the book will go over the heads of a lot of children.  While the book will be enjoyed by children, I think it should be read aloud and discussed to get the message across.

Masciullo's illustrations remind me of Shaun Tan's work.  The colours are muted giving the images a 'dark' feeling, and yet they have so much information within them that they are really quite spectacular.  To me they have a 'steampunk' feel to them combining the old with the new - Dad heads off in a sailing ship powered by a hot air balloon, and their house is a mish-mash of old-style furniture and mechanical bits-n-bobs.  The robots progression from friendly toy to jealous playmate has been portrayed really cleverly.  The young boys feelings of joy, surprise ... or should I say shock, and determination are clearly depicted in his facial expressions.

Wow!  I really want to like this book, but I think that the message about friendship in it has been portrayed in such a dark manner it is bordering on creepy.  Definitely a book for older readers.  A good book for sharing and discussing about what exactly friendship is and what makes a good friend.

I got my copy of The Boy and the Toy from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 43. Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Sara Varon

Castellucci, C., & Varon, S. (2013). Odd Duck. New York, NY: First Second.

ISBN: 9781596435575
Pages: 96
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook / Graphic Novel
Rating: 4 stars

---------------

Theodora is a perfectly normal duck.  She may swim with a teacup balanced on her head and stay north when the rest of the ducks fly south for the winter, but there's nothing so odd about that.

Chad, on the other hand, is one strange bird.  He looks at the stars at night.  He swims in crazy circles instead of straight lines.  His house is a mess.  It's a good thing Chad has a normal friend like 

Theodora to set a good example for him.

With only 6 chapters this is a great graphic novel for younger readers to get into.  It is sized slightly larger than a chapter book, and smaller than a picture book, making it easy to handle.

We follow Theodora as she goes about her day, starting with a healthy exercise routine before she heads off shopping and to the library.  She always gets the same things as all the other ducks, but we can see her individuality showing through as well as the fact that she likes to be alone.  She is happy with who she is and doesn't want anything to change. 

But then one day Chad moves into the empty house next door.  He's a bit of a messy duck, and boy, can he talk ... and talk ... and talk ... and talk.  There is no way they could be friends.  They were just too different, and Chad was just plain Odd!  Theodora was just going to ignore Chad and keep to herself ... just as she preferred!  But slowly Chad begins to grow on Theodora, and before she can help herself they are friends.

Varon's illustrations are gorgeous.  They show Theodora and Chad in all their individual uniqueness.  They are done in muted and paste tones, and although the ducks are pale yellow they stand out from the background images.  The graphic novel scenes are simply done, and the speech bubbles positioned in a way that those new to Graphics can follow along and learn the layout style.  I love how there are little 'extra' bits added to the storyline, kind-of factual information about parts of the scenes you should know about.

Technically this is not a picture book, but I just had to review it.  And really Graphic Novel's are full of illustrations so in a way it is a picture book.  Actually First Second the publishers call it a hybrid picture book-graphic novel format.

A lovely tale of friendship and being a bit different from everyone else.

I got my copy of Odd Duck from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

Oops I couldn't find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Check out Goodreads for more reviews of Odd Duck.

#365PictureBooks 21. Pete the Cat and the New Guy by Kimberly & James Dean

Dean, K., & Dean, J. (2014). Pete the Cat and the New Guy. London, UK: HarperCollins Children's Books.

ISBN: 9780007590803
Pages: 40
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

---------------

Join Pete the Cat on his latest groovy adventure.  There's a new guy in the street and Pete thinks he might be 'his kind of guy'.  But when Pete meets him he finds that he is not the same at all!  Gus is different.  Gus is a Platypus.  But Pete knows that being different is really cool and that makes his special in his own way.  And when Gus can't find what he is good at Pete sais ...

Don't be sad,

don't be blue.

There is something

everyone can do!   

And guess what?!?!  There is something that Gus can do!


I really love the Pete the Cat series of books.  Not just because you can go online and listen to Eric Litwin sing the songs(book?) - He's soooooooo groovy man!!  Dean instills a message into each of these books that teaches children a number of things.  In Pete the Cat and the New Guy the message is all about acceptance, individual differences and friendship.  Just because you can't do what everyone else does, doesn't mean you should stop trying to find your own talent.  And when you do, then groove to it man!

The text is simple and rhythmic with lots of repetition.  It gets the message of acceptance, individual differences and friendship across in a way that younger children can understand.  This is a good book to read aloud and for sharing as there is really too much text for young children to read on their own, however kids will be able to pick up on the rhyming repetition quickly and join in with the story.  

The illustrations are very bright and colourful.  The characters are colourful, and the backgrounds are colourful.  The characters are quite simply drawn, and there is not much facial expression to determine their moods.  Actually with their eyeballs all being in the upper part of their eyes they all have a very 'chilled' look to them - very hippy'ish :-)  

Pete the Cat and the New Guy has a video of the story being read by children, rather than the Eric Litwin songs of his other books.  It is a great way for children to learn the rhythm of the story, while also a chance for them to have the story read to them if an adult or older student isn't available to read.  Good idea for a learning station during class literacy sessions.

This will be another great book to add to our collection.  Both for the message it is trying to get across and for the bright colourful illustrations.  A couple of our year 3 classes last year did lots of drawing activities with the Pete the Cat books.  The illustrations in the book are simple enough for children to reproduce themselves, and they can come up with their own stories to go along with their cat.  They are great to use for book week activities as an alternative to the Mr Men series.  

My one disappointment is that Eric Litwin is not the author of this book, rather it is James' wife Kimberley, and so there is no song to go with it.  Of all the books this one may be a little didactic - and not so happy-go-lucky as the previous books.  Still a great addition to your collection.

I got my copy of Pete the Cat and the New Guy from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 18. Big and Small by Elizabeth Bennett, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bennett, E. (2014). Big and Small. Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781742761053
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 3 stars

---------------

Big and Small are best of friends.  One day they decide to go out to play and take a picnic lunch with them.  But Small is so small he keeps getting into trouble and he is constantly asking for "A little help, please!"  At the end of the day, when they are tucked up in be, is Big really so big and brave, or does he need a little help too? 

This is just the cutest story about Big and Small's adventures.  The rhyming text is simple with short sentences, and lots of repetition.  The font used is nice and big and 'moves' across the pages fitting itself to the actions of the characters, making this a visually pleasing book to read.


Chapman's illustrations are fantastic.  They are bright and colourful.  Big is a great big bluey grey bear, and Small is a tiny little white mouse.  You can see from their facial expressions just how much fun they have together, and although Small is constantly asking for help, Big never gets frustrated with his friend.

The illustrations start off as full page layouts and then alternate with a split layout, where you can see Small in trouble and Big saving him.  I particularly like the page where they are about to roll down the hill.

What a gorgeous book to add to your collection.  With a theme of friendship and having someone who's always there for you, this book will make for a lovely bed-time read.

I got my copy of Big andSmall from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 16. A Deal's a Deal by Stephanie Blake

Blake, S. (2013). A Deal's a Deal. Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko Press.

ISBN: 9781877579844
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 3 stars

---------------

A deal's a deal,

to take back is to steal.

Meet Simon and his friend Ferdinand.  Today they are playing with their toy cars.  Simon really likes Ferdinand's amazing red car and eventually Ferdinand agrees to swap it for THREE of Simon's cars.  But when Simon gets it home it's not quite what he was made to believe.  How can Simon get back his three cars and pay Ferdinand back for the trick he played on him.


Stephanie Blake, originally from Minnesota, USA, lives in Paris where she writes and illustrates dozens of popular French children's books.  The series of 'Simon' books have been translated in New Zealand and published by Gecko Press.  The original title Donner c'est donner was published in 2007.

In this story Simon is back in his cute super-hero outfit and he has a little bit of car envy.  He's grown up a bit from his appearance in Stupid Baby which can be evidenced in his conversation with Ferdinand.  And like any good kids book, it's got to have a Yuck factor, which is all in the way he comes up with to pay Ferdinand back  The last page is just hilarious!  It might look like Simon is a bit of a sore looser, but I can see the way Ferdinand manipulates Simon into swapping three cars for one car.

The illustrations are vibrant, simple and funny.  They tie in beautifully with the story.  And the facial expressions although simple are quite easy to 'read', especially when Simon comes up with his terrible, horrible, brilliant idea.  Very sinister!

This is the third book in the adventures of Simon the Rabbit.  It's just as funny as the others - Poo Bum and Stupid Baby.  And keep your eye out for I Don't Want to Go to School.   

I got my copy of A Deal's a Deal from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 14. Very Little Red Riding Hood by Heapy & Heap

Heapy, T., & Heap, S. (2013). Very Little Red Riding Hood: A very BIG adventure for a Very little Girl. Oxford, UK: David Flicking Books.

ISBN: 9781849921459
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / Alternative Fairy Tale 
Rating: 3 stars

---------------

Very Little Red Riding Hood is brave, bold and BOSSY!  She is off to visit her Grandma for a sleepover, and she's not going to let anyone or anything stop her.  Not even a wolf! 

Heapy has done well in her cute retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood, which is lots of fun and has none of the gory bits from the classic.  It is very easy to relate it to the original, with the the twist being that Very Little Red Riding Hood invites the wolf to Grandma's for a 'cuppatea' and a play.  By the end of it I felt really sorry for the poor wolf.  Mind you when I become a Grandma I certainly want my own wolf to help babysit the grandies ... especially if they are as active as Very Little Red Riding Hood!

This is a very child-like retelling, and the language used is definitely aimed at pre-school children.  Heapy uses language in a way that many young children use, for example ..."I come see you, Gramma", and "Not lello flowers. Red!".  She uses a lot of short sentences, and there is one page that reminds me of our younger students story writing ... every sentence starts with 'Then'!  There is quite a lot of play on the original tale and I like how Heaphy has twisted scenarios around to tie in nicely with this modernised retelling. 

Heap's illustrations are very simple and in keeping with the story.  They look like they are done in pencil and watercolour, and some of them have a very unfinished look to them.  They are bright and colourful.  Very Little Red's jacket has ears on it which is very cute, and the wolf, aka 'Foxie', has a big hairy coat and stands out from the other characters in the way he is illustrated. 

With the inclusion of the fold-out map at the beginning I can see quite a few more books from Heapy & Heap with all the Very Little fairytale characters. 

A gorgeous story to be read at bedtime or as a read-aloud.  It will delight children and adults alike in the way Very Little Red Riding Hood bosses 'Foxie' and her poor Grandma around. 

I got my copy of Very Little Red Riding Hood from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 6. Edward and the Great Discovery by Rebecca McRitchie, illustrated by Celeste Hulme

McRitchie, R., & Hulme, C. (2014). Edward and the Great Discovery. Frenchs Forest, Australia: New Frontier.

ISBN: 9781925059007
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / Adventure
Rating: 4 stars

---------------

Edward comes from a long line of archaeologists who have ALL made important discoveries.  Sadly he has never discovered anything.  Until ... one night after digging in the back-yard ... he trips over an egg. 

Taking it inside he carefully cleans it, keeps it warm and loves it.  And then one day it hatches!  But it's not an ordinary bird - it's a bit big and it can't fly!  They are great companions with the strange bird following Edward everywhere, helping him out on his digs and loving him.  Edward begins to think his bird is broken so he takes a trip to the museum to cheer himself up.  There he finds a never-before seen room full of birds and a book about Dodos.  Maybe his bird isn't broken after all!!!   

Hulme's use of muted hues give the illustrations a distinctive vintage feel which fit perfectly into the theme of the story.  You see many images of Edward and his bird having all sorts of fun together.  As an adult reader Edward appears to be a very lonely child - rambling around in the huge house and grounds with nary a sight of his family, though I doubt he children would see this in the images.  


The love Edward and his bird have for each other is clearly evident on their faces, as is the disappointment on Edwards face when he thinks his bird is broken.

This is a lovely book about friendship, adventure and discoveries.  On the end-papers children can check-out Edward's archaeology kit (and maybe put their own kit together - parents beware!!!)   

Although it is classed in the Early Childhood age range, I believe it will be more appreciated by children in the 6-10 year old age range.

I got my copy of Edward and the Great Discovery from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Brotherhood of Thieves Bk1 The Wardens by Stuart Daly

Daly, S. (2014). Brotherhood of Thieves 1: The Wardens. Sydney, Australia: Random House.

ISBN: 9780857983275
Pages: 329
Age Level: YA 12-18
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars


---------------

"A brotherhood of treasure hunters.

A terrifying enemy.

Five young recruits.

The race is on."

Caspan is a thief who has lived his life on the streets.  A chance encounter while plying his trade one day leads him to being accepted into a secret order sanctioned by the King.  Together with four other recruits - Roland, Lachlan, Sara and Kilt - they learn what it is to become part of the Brotherhood.  Bonds of trust and friendship are slowly formed while they are trained in their new art.  Will they all pass the test at the end of their training, or will they fail to work as a group and fail in their first (unintended) quest?

What an epic read.  Full of action and adventure, courage, friendship and fantasy it's a great read.  I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

As an adult reading this, I can see that a lot of the storyline ideas / populations may have come from a variety of other fantasy reads.  The Four Kingdoms itself seems very much like an adaptation of England.  I'm not saying this is a bad thing, as many of our preconceived ideas & previous experiences (real & read) slip into our understanding / imagination of what we are reading.

The characters are well formed and the plot flows seamlessly.  It's not until about 1/4 of the way through the book that the fantasy aspect comes into play, and the image on the cover makes sense as it does not appear to have any relation to the title.

This is a good read for ages 10 and up that aren't quite ready for Lord of The Rings or Game of Thrones.  It's got a similar theme - underdog saves the world while trying to fight off hoards of giants, with internal conflicts that are causing treason taking place.

I got my copy of Brotherhood of Thieves 1: The Wardens from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

Check out other reviews of 'Brotherhood of Thieves 1: The Wardens' on Goodreads.

The Rig by Joe Ducie

Ducie, J. (2013). The Rig. London, UK: Hot Key Books.

ISBN: 9781471402197
Pages: 368
Age Level: YA 12-18
Genre: Sci-Fantasy / Dystopia / Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 4 stars

---------------

The Rig is an old oil rig, hundreds of miles from nowhere in the Arctic Ocean, which has been converted into a maximum security juvenile prison for the worst of the worst.  Surrounded by sharks and monitored around the clock, escape is impossible.

15 year-old Will Drake is a bit of an escape artist and loves a challenge.  He has escaped from every prison he has been put into.  There is no-where he can’t escape from, and he will stop at nothing to prove the warden wrong when he is transported onto the Rig.  However, not everything on the Rig is as it seems, from the reason Will has been incarcerated, to the use of the prison and how some inmates are different from the others – stronger and more aggressive!    

The Rig is a young adult, prison break story … but it’s really so much more than that.  It is science fiction, fantasy, thriller, adventure, and dystopia all rolled into one.  If you can suspend your disbelief about the futuristic vibe and harshness of the setting of this novel, which most young adults can do, then the plot and setting of this novel is realistic and believable.  It will make you question yourself, and humanity, and ask “What if?”  There are so many elements in this novel that make it a great young adult read.  


I got my copy of The Rig from my bookshelf. 

Check out other reviews of 'The Rig' on Goodreads.