#365PictureBooks 68. Doggy Ditties from A to Z by Jo van Dam, illustrated by Myles Lawford

Van Dam, J., & Lawford, M. (2014). Doggy Ditties from A to Z. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775431886
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book / NZ Fiction / Poetry
Rating: 5 stars

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Doggie ditties, rather witty,
about a kid's best friend;
a crazy collection, a silly selection,
from A through to Z at the end. 

When I first read this book I thought "Huh, that's dumb, the story doesn't rhyme!".  Then I thought about it, flicked through it again and realised "Doh!  They're not supposed rhyme in a continuous and equal way!".  That's because each page is it's own separate and catchy ditty moving through the alphabet from A to Z.  " What a doofus!"

This gorgeous collection of poems (or ditties) takes the reader through the alphabet in a flurry of dogs.  Starting with Alfie the Affenpinscher and Buddy the Boxer, all the way through to the noisy Yorkshire Terrier and poor Jim the Zuchon.  Did you know there is actually a dog that starts with the letter X?  Very sad there was no Shih Tzu like our Charlie, but the Shar-Pei in his too-big coat is a very cute addition.  You can tell that Jo van Dam has done her research on the various types of dogs and their quirks and foibles.  And her love of wordplay shines through in the variety of poems in this collection.

Myles Lawford's illustrations are a beautiful contrast to the witty ditties.  They depict the dogs in a very realistic and easily recognisable way, whilst bringing out the humorous touches as described in the poems.  And to finish off, the final two-page spread is a park scene with all the dogs from within the book, for you to spy.  There is just so much fun to be had looking at the illustrations, regardless of whether you read the poems or not.

What a great book for bed-time reading and for sharing with dog-lovers.  Also good to add to your collection to update your poetry section, and provide some shorter ditties for the Year 3 & 4 poetry competitions.  And of course, for use as an exemplar in classroom literacy sessions, showing a variety of poetry techniques, and promoting that language can be fun to play with.

And as an extra bonus ... Jo is one of us.  A school librarian in New Zealand ... at two primary schools!  I look forward to reading what you publish next Jo :-)

I got my copy of Doggie Ditties from A to Z from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 63. Children of the Pacific : Billy's Weekend - A Story from the Islands of Fiji by Jill MacGregor

MacGregor, J. (2013). Children of the Pacific : Billy's Weekend - A Story from the Islands of Fiji. Wellington, New Zealand: Puriri Paddocks.

ISBN: 9780473257392
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Book / NZ Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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Join Viliame, known as Billy, as he tells us about his weekend in his village of Arovudi, on the island of Ovalau in Fiji.

This is another book from Jill's Children of the Pacific series.  Along with the photographic snap-shot into the children's lives, these books also include a map on the inside-front cover with some basic facts about their country.  Whilst there is no contents or index page, there is a glossary at the back with some of the words that are not translated.  Throughout the story, these words are denoted with an asterix * so you know to check the glossary.

It is aimed at younger children.  The language used is clearly understood and describes Billy's weekend in the first person.  It makes for a very good non-fiction read-aloud.

Scott's photographs provide a snap-shot into Billy and his families life.  There are some amazing photos of the wildlife found around Billy's house and on the reef.  They have been laid out with a mixture of inserts within a full page image (as shown here), or in a 'photo album' style.  They enhance the text by providing additional information or close-up images of specific comments in the text.

This series is a fantastic addition to your collection.  Both from a non-fiction narrative perspective, and by providing an insight into how other children and families around the world live.  They have been produced four-at-a-time, and I have been purchasing these directly from Jill or her son whenever they are visiting Napier with each new selection.

Books in the series so far:

Tareima's String - Kiribati

Wrapping It Up - Samoa

Kelea's Clothes - Tonga

A Nest of Pigs - Cook Islands

The Uga Hunt - Niue

Billy's Weekend - Fiji

The Rat and the Octopus - Niue

Market Day - Samoa

I got my copy of Children of the Pacific : Billy's Weekend - A Story from the Islands of Fiji from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 62. Children of the Pacific : Market Day - A Story from the Islands of Samoa by Jill MacGregor

MacGregor, J. (2013). Children of the Pacific : Market Day - A Story from the Islands of Samoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Puriri Paddocks.

ISBN: 9780473257378
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Book / NZ Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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Join Hope as she takes you for a tour through her village of Moamoa, which is near Apia in Samoa.  She explains the things they do each day, and what you can find on their Market Day.

Jill MacGregor is a Kiwi.  She was a teacher and has written many stories for the School Journal.  As well as teaching in Tonga, she has traveled extensively throughout the Pacific.  She draws on her knowledge and first-hand experience to bring us this delightful non-fiction narrative series.

It is aimed at younger children.  The language used is clearly understood and describes Hope's day in the first person.  It makes for a very good non-fiction read-aloud.

Scott MacGregor's photographs provide a snap-shot into Hope and her families life.  They have been laid out with a mixture of inserts within a full page image, or as shown here, in a 'photo album' style.  They enhance the text by providing additional information or close-up images of specific comments in the text.

This series is a fantastic addition to your collection.  Both from a non-fiction narrative perspective, and by providing an insight into how other children and families around the world live.  Until Jill started producing this series there was very little in the way of this type of information for our younger students to read and learn from.

I got my copy of Children of the Pacific : Market Day - A Story from the Islands of Samoa from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.