#365PictureBooks 69. Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle

Duddle, J. (2014). Gigantosaurus. Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781742761015
Pages: 32 - including 1 'fold-up' page
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 5 stars

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His feet go STOMP!  
His jaws go CRUNCH!  
In the blink of an eye you'll be his LUNCH!  

Are you ready to meet the GIGANTOSAURUS? 

Bonehead, Tiny, Fin and Bill are four tiny and terribly cute dinosaurs who like spending their days playing.  Their mums warn them to beware of the Gigantosaurus, but like most children do they take any notice?  Why, of course not!  Well actually ... Bonehead does.  He keeps tricking his friends by calling out the Gigantosaurus is coming.  But what happens when the Gigantosaurus really does come???  

What a gorgeous gorgeous book.  It initially reminded me of the Puff the Magic Dragon story, but the further through I read it appeared to be a dinosaur retelling of Peter and the Wolf.  Bonehead is a bit of a liar, and he eventually cries 'wolf' ... woops I mean 'Gigantosaurus' once too often. 

Told in rhyme, this is a great book to share with your dinosaur-loving children.  Younger children will enjoy having this read to them, while the language used is more suitable for older children to read alone.

Duddle's illustrations are fan-fraking-amazing.  I love love love Bonehead.  Each of his images seem to just pop with his courage and self-confidence ... especially the page where their mothers are trying to tell them to be careful.  He's like 'Yeah Yeah, whatever!'  While his friends are quaking in their boots.  Did I mention that they are really really cute???  

The amount of detail in each illustration is fantastic.  They are bright, clear and show so much.  If you look carefully you can see hints of all sorts of dinosaur formations hiding in the images.  And you also get to meet the dinosaurs in the book at the end.  There are two pages of dino facts for kids to enjoy.

What a great addition to your collection, whether it's because you are a dinosaur fan, you like a good read-aloud, or purely for the amazing illustrations.

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

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#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 67. Purrs, Paws and Claws by Errol McLeary

McLeary, E. (2014). Purrs, Paws and Claws. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775432272
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book / NZ Fiction / Poetry
Rating: 4 stars

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Erroll McLeary has presented us with a selection of nursery rhymes and limericks with a twist on the original.  They are all pussy-cat inspired! 

There's 'Pussycat Horner' (Little Jack Horner), 'The Cat and the Fiddle', 'Jittery-Tickery Tock' (Hickery Dickery Dock), and 'This little Kitty' (This Little Piggie) to name a few.

A hilarious collection that is a joy to read-aloud.  Children young and old will enjoy it, either for it's fun rhymes, or to see if they can match the original with the adaption.

McLeary's illustrations show the humour of the rhyme in the way they have been done.  Each image has it's own little quirks.  I didn't know whether I should look at the images first to see if I could figure out the rhyme, or read the ditty first and then see if the images matched.  Very cleverly done.

A fun rhyming book to add to your collection.  A nice change for bed-time read-alouds.  A book that cat-loving kids will really enjoy :-)

I got my copy of Purrs, Paws and Claws from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 66. Esau the Paw by Chris Gurney, illustrated by John Bennett

Gurney, C., & Bennett, J. (2014). Esau the Paw. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775431855
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 4 stars

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Esau the Paw was a VERY cool cat.
No cat was fluffier, be sure of that! 

OMG! Esau the Paw is the cutest fluffiest cat!  One of the descriptions of him is that he looks 'like a big bloated fur ball'.  And he does!  His facial expressions as he plays are fantastic.  And his looks of absolute disgust I'm sure I have seen on my own cat!!!

Esau the Paw has a beautiful fluffy coat that his owner grooms when he gets it tangled.  Until ... one day it is just so bad that he has to go to the vet ... where he gets a trim - Doh!

Chris Gurney's rhyming text is easy to follow.  He humorously tells the tale of poor Esau's catastrophic results from playing in the mud.  Something many a pet owner can relate to - especially those of us with long-haired darlings, be they cats or dogs ;-)

John Bennett's illustrations are bright and colourful and clearly show Esau's delight in life ... and his disgust once he has been shaved bald!  Predominantly full of full-page illustrations like this one,  children will be able to relate to their own pet's predicaments when they get messy in the winter.

A humorous and colourful read-aloud that will be enjoyed again and again.

I got my copy of Esau the Paw from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 64. Back-To-Front Bob by Belinda Ellis

Ellis, B. (2014). Back-To-Front Bob. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775431831
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 4 stars

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Bob flips out over words.
In fact, he's head-over-heels crazy about them.
Especially the ones that read the same forwards and backwards ... like BOB!

Belinda Ellis presents us with the first in a series of books about the joys of word games and the quirks that can be a (big) part of our language.  Told in a humorous way, they invite children to 'play' with the words themselves, and maybe come up with some of their own palindromes.

The illustrations in this book are predominantly focusing on the 'words'.  These large, sometimes colourful, words each have an image of Bob in various thoughtful poses, as well as the occasional extra illustration.  It's very well done, as it keeps your attention on the main focus of the story ... the words!

This is a great book to add to your collection.  We have a copy in our Picture Books for kids and parents to enjoy, and a copy in our Teacher Resources for staff to use during literacy lessons in class.  It is a great way of showing kids that they can have fun with words, and that 'language is a very wondrous thing'.

I got my copy of Back-To-Front Bob from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 60. How to Hide a Lion from Grandma by Helen Stephens

Stephens, H. (2014). How to Hide a Lion from Grandma. London, UK: Alison Green Books.

ISBN: 9781407139050
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 3 stars

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Iris and her family live with a brave, kind lion.  One weekend Iris's Grandma comes to stay and they have to find ways to hide the lion, because we all know that grandmas get anxious if they find a lion in the house!  With all sorts of creative hiding places Grandma never seems to notice the lion right in front of her eyes!  But Grandma has a secret of her own  What could possibly be in the gigantic box she brought with her? 

Helen Stephens has told this story in a lovely old-fashioned style of writing with lots of 'grandma-isms' like 'bit and bobs' and 'we'll see's'.  

There is quite a lot of text and the font used (or maybe the fuzzy print) is not the easiest to see so this will make a better read-aloud than a book children will read to themselves.

The illustrations are also very old-fashioned in appearance giving the book a nostalgic feel when I read it (No I'm not that old!!! But it reminded me of the Little Golden Books from when I was a kid).  They accompany the text perfectly.

A lovely read-aloud, especially good for grandmas to read when they come visiting :-)

I got my copy of Kiwi Corkers: A Kiwi Christmas Carol from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 59. There's a Shark in the Bath by Sarah McIntyre

McIntyre, S. (2014). There's a Shark in the Bath. London, UK: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781407121918
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Big Teeth!

Bubbles!

Who is in the bath? 

One morning Dulcie goes into the bathroom and sees a shark fin in last nights bath water.  When her parents don't believe her she goes back to fish it out.  But what pops out isn't just one shark ... it's a whole family ... and they are hungry!  Trying to distract them, Dulcie suggests they play a game of teeth-brushing.  And hair-washing.  And toilet-paper-wrapping.  They all have a fantastic time playing and making more and more mess while Dulcie tries to stop the sharks from eating her.  Until there is a knock on the bathroom door and dad want's to come in!  Ooh Oh!

A humorous story with lots of made-up bathroom games and rhyming words .  Showing just how much fun you can have in your bath with a bit of imagination.  There is quite a lot of text making it a good read-aloud, though it might not be a good idea to read it just before bath time!!!!!

With bright, bold sharky illustrations there are so many crazy sea-creature antics to spot on the pages.  The illustrations themselves tell a great story.

The front and back end papers are gorgeous, giving a 'before' and 'after' ocean-view snapshot of the story.

A fun read-aloud.  Full of action and silliness and great for getting children to predict what is going to happen next.

I got my copy of There's a Shark in the Bath from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 44. What do Werewolves do when it's not Halloween? by Heath McKenzie

McKenzie, H. (2013). What do Werewolves do when it's not Halloween? Lindfield, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781742838793
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Just what do Werewolves and all the other supernatural creatures get up to when it's not Halloween?  Do they hide in dark closets, or do they get up to mischief?  Join Heath McKenzie as he takes you for a romp through the lives of your favourite ghouls, ghosts and spooks, and find out just what Werewolves do after Halloween. 

With a rollicking great rhyme and a funky font this is a great picture book to share with young and old kids alike.  Older kids will 'get' the humour of it more-so than the pre-school kids, but I can see them laughing their way through story time if you read this with them.

McKenzie's illustrations are just so awesome as well.  He uses humour in his images to turn what some people find scary (monsters) into a hilarious twist on our own relaxation activities.  There are so many great things to see on each page that I can't choose a favourite.  I just love them all so much.  I've got to admit though that I'm quite partial to the library scene!

This is a wicked-cool addition to your collection, especially if like me you are a fan of all things supernatural.  And maybe after reading this, those kids that are usually scared of things that go 'bump' in the night won't be so scared any more :-)

I got my copy of What do Werewolves do when it's not Halloween? from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

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

Check out Heather McKenzie's website on how she came up with the idea for What to Werewolves do when it's not Halloween?

#365PictureBooks 41. Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World by Mary Taylor

Taylor, M. (2014). Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775432371
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12 / YA 12-18
Genre: Non-fiction / NZ Non-fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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At one time, not so very long ago, there remained only five black robins in the whole world.

The story of Old Blue is a remarkable story of survival and conservation. 

This is the story about Old Blue, a Black Robin who lived for over thirteen years, and is one of the reasons that these birds are not extinct.  It is also the story of Dr Don Merton's conservation work on the Chatham Islands in New Zealand, and how he used cross-fostering to help save the world's rarest bird - the Chatham Islands Black Robin.

Originally published in 1993, this edition has been redesigned and updated.

Told in a narrative style, this non-fiction book leads us through the history of the black robin, the processes that Dr Don & his team went through, and Old Blue's efforts to re-populate the black robin species.  It is beautifully told (although it may require a tissue or three as it is quite an awe-inspiring and heartfelt read) and quite simply worded.

Mary Taylor is a professional artist and her work is just amazing.  The illustrations in Old Blue appear as if you are looking through a window and observing what is happening.  I love the framing of the other images with parts of the main illustration overlapping the frame.  

There is a lovely map of the Chatham Islands on the first page which leads into the story.  The very last page has a small copy of the two plates illustrating all the birds of the Chatham Islands (3rd page in & 3rd-to-last page).  It lists each bird and their degree of vulnerability.  It also provides information on a current conservation effort to save the Fairy Tern (tara-iti).  

The quote on the back cover is so thought-provoking, and yet so true:

"If the rarest bird in the world can be rescued, then given human determination and effort, no species need become extinct."

Dr Don Merton

Awards:
Winner Children's Book Awards: Non fiction 1994

A fantastic book to have in your non-fiction narrative collection.  The story is amazing but it is also a book that you can just loose yourself in with the illustrations.  Appropriate for middle primary school (as a read-aloud) all the way through to high school.

I got my copy of Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Check out the review on We Love Books: The Booksellers New Zealand Blog.

#365PictureBooks 31. I am not a Worm! by Scott Tulloch

Tulloch, S. (2014). I am not a worm! Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775432517
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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"Hello, little worm."

"I am not a worm."

"Are you sure?"

"YES!"

This is a humorous conversation, or should I say argument, between a caterpillar and a chameleon as the poor caterpillar tries to explain that He. Is. Not. A. Worm!

Watch as the caterpillar gets more and more and more worked up, until he manages to zip himself into his chrysalis.  And watch as the crafty chameleon just keeps winding him up!  I'm sure you know some people that are like this.  Soooooo annoying!!!!

Tulloch's illustrations are awesome!  Done in pale hues and in a graphic novel style format they work perfectly with the conversation that is occurring.  You can see the worms', woops! I meant caterpillars' annoyance building, while the chameleon's expressions are just so sly!




Such a wickedly awesome book.  Just watch out for the ending!  Ya know ... chameleons ... butterflies ... food!!!  It's a book that younger children will enjoy, for the humour of it and the illustrations.  But older kids will love it, because they will just 'get' what the chameleon is trying to do and what they think is going to happen.

I got my copy of I am not a worm! from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 30. Tortoise and the Hair by P. Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea

Crumble, P. (2014). Tortoise and the Hair. Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781743625286
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Tortoise's big day has arrived.  He's going to be a singing superstar,up on stage with his guitar.  But oh oh!  Tortoise has lost his favourite wig!  Can Hare help him get his hair back in time for the big gig?  

Crumble has given new life to the classic Tortoise and the Hare tale in this rocking and rhyming story with an Elvis twist.  The tale is told in an easy to follow hilarious rhyme.

Tortoises' self-doubt is clearly evident with the constant refrain "I'll never win now, it's just not fair!", while he hunts for his missing hair piece and slowly gives up hope of ever finding it.

Then we follow his wig's escapades as it travels from animal to animal after Bear's foot is tickled by something on the floor of the bus and is eventually found by Hare. 

Shea's bright and bold illustrations are fantastic.  They add beautifully to Crumbles' rhyme, while giving more depth to the story.  You can see Tortoises' absolute sense of impending doom as he slowly makes his way to the concert.  There are all sorts of awesome things in the images to spot, and the looks on the animals faces are gorgeous.  I quite like the business mouse talking on his bug phone, and Miss Hippo strutting her stuff in a lime green dress, shoes & painted toenails ... with Tortoises' wig!

This is a fantastic book to add to your collection.  Great for pre-school and early primary children.

I got my copy of Tortoise and the Hair 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

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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 15. What can you Stack on the Back of a Yak? by Alison Green, illustrated by Adam Stower

Green, A. (2013). What can you Stack on the Back of a Yak? London, UK: Alison Green Books.

ISBN: 978775432555
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 5 stars

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Captain Quack and his trusty yak

deliver the post to the mountains and back. 

Well ... that's what is supposed to happen.  Yak's playful antics keep getting him in trouble and Captain Quack just cannot keep him on track.  Along the way yak looses his load of parcels but picks up a collection of lost and tired creatures.  Find out what happens when he finally makes it to the top of the track.

This is a humorous and catchy rhyming tale with lots of repetition making it a great read-aloud.  It's also a counting book.  Green's love of wordplay is evident in this fantastic tale of Captain Quack and his Yak.

The text has been presented in 'typewriter' font, making it stand out from the majority of other picture storybooks.  It's a refreshing change.  And easy to read.

The illustrations are done in muted watercolours, the majority of which are full page illustrations.  These are intermingled with images on a solid white background, which help draw your eye to what is important.  Stower's illustrations tie in perfectly with Green's rhyme.  I just love the look of fuming annoyance on Captain Quack's face when he can't control Yak.  And the look of joy on Yak's face when he keeps coming up with ways to play.  Gorgeous!  And once everyone is loaded on Yak's back he's so tall that you have to turn the page to see everyone. 

This is a fantastic read-aloud, and I am looking forward to reading it to ALL our classes this year.  The younger kids will enjoy listening to it, and I can see our older kids having fun trying to get their tongues around some of the rhymes and reading it to their little buddies.  

I got my copy of What can you Stack on the Back of a Yak? from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 8. Dinosaur Farm by Frann Preston-Gannon

Preston-Gannon, F. (2013). Dinosaur Farm. Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781742760766
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Following on from yesterday's, instructional style, guide book on how to train a train, today's little gem is a a guide to farming. 

Taking care of dinosaurs is hard work.  Actually being a farmer of any kind is hard work (daughter of a farmer blogging!!).  You have to wake up early, make sure the animals are fed, cleaned, cleaned up after, and looked after!  Whew!  And dinosaurs are no different ... just BIGGER.

This beautiful book takes children through the day-to-day routine of being a farmer.  It's told in simple text with one chore per page.  Children can relate to many of these tasks if they have a pet which the help to look after.  
The only indication that this is not a traditional guide book is in the title and the illustrations.

On it's own the text is really instructional and quite basic and monotonous.  Where this book comes into it's own is in the use of the illustrations to accompany the text.  So cleverly done!

Preston-Gannon's illustrations are quite collage-like in effect.  Almost like one of those felt boards that children can add bits to to make up their own picture.  She uses bright, bold colours and the images are simply drawn but very clear in what they depict.  The expressions on the characters faces tells so much of the story, and the way she uses the images as a play on the text is just brilliant. 

There are so many humorous things to see on each page - from the dinosaur 'dog' riding on the tractor, the stegasaurus' chasing after the farmer for their breakfast, having to use a ladder to wash the dirty Brachiosaurus, to finally crawling into bed at night ... with a few extra bed-mates.  ;-) 

Our kids love dinosaur books.  This one will be enjoyed not just for the dinosaurs but for the humorous way Preston-Gannon tells about a chore that so many children can relate to - looking after pets.

I great addition to your collection.  It is a gorgeous book for young children to read and enjoy and will invite discussion with each other and their parents.  A lovely bed-time story.  For teaching purposes it is a good example of how children can take their own story or diary writing and turn it into something fun and interesting.  It's also a good way of showing children that it's not always about what is being said - that their images, previous knowledge or past experiences can cast a different understanding on what they hear.

I got my copy of Dinosaur Farm from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

Woops, I couldn't find a copy at my local library.
Check out other reviews of Dinosaur Farm on Goodreads.

#365PictureBooks 5. Oh Dear, what can the matter be? by P. Crumble, illustrated by Simon Williams, performed by Jay Laga'aia

Crumble, P. (2014). Oh Dear, what can the matter be? Gosford, Australia: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781743622377
Pages: 24
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / Stories in Rhyme
Rating: 4 stars

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I love Crumble's work.  I noticed in the last year that I have been drawn to his(?) books as the combination of his humour and the illustrators of his books make for a bright and fun read. 

And he doesn't disappoint in this lively rendition of Oh Dear, what can the matter be?  Be careful because it is a bit of a tongue-twister!  For those who can't remember how the tune goes there is an accompanying CD with the lyrics sung by Jay Laga'aia.

Williams' fantastically amazing, bright and colourful illustrations, really bring the song to life.  There are so many different things to see on each beautifully illustrated page with the characters from one page flowing through to the next page.  I particularly love the first page with the ducks stuck in the lavatory!

It's great for a group read-aloud - or should I say CD sing-along.  You can let the CD play while one of the kids turns the pages and you having a jolly old time acting out to the song.  So much fun for us crazy librarians!!! ;-)

I got my copy of Oh Dear, what can the matter be from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 2. Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Sarah Davis

MacIver, J. (2014). Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775431251
Pages: 40
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 5 stars


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Marmaduke Duck is back in his third rollicking adventure.  This time he is bold, he is brave, he is a Dare Devil Duck!  

He decides that life running his sweet shop with Bernadette Bear is a bit boring so he packs up his cart full of marmalade jam and leave for a life of adventure.  He buys a ship and sets sail with a crew made up of a rat, a dog, a cat, a llama, a lamb and a big black Bull.  What could possibly go wrong???

MacIver's (sometimes tongue twisting) rhyme follows a classic format with a catchy rhythm - dah dah dah DAH dah dah dah dah DAH (or something like that!)  It's a great read aloud and will cause much delight and laughter - especially when you trip over your tongue trying to keep to the rhythm ;-)

Davis's illustrations in a soft water colour palette add beautifully to MacIver's rhyme.  The expressions of the characters faces and their postures clearly capture Marmaduke Duck and his crew's adventures and enhance the story.  This is truly a case of the text and the illustrations combining to make the 'whole' book so much better than the 'individual components', which on their own are bloody marvelous!

Throughout the scenes of Marmaduke's adventure on the high seas you see glimpses of Bernadette Bear on her own journey to find Marmaduke.  They make for their own text-less story, which I must admit I completely missed on my first couple of readings (I was more interested in the rollicking rhyme and the main images!)

This is another great book by Juliette MacIver and well worth adding to your collection.

I got my copy of Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.