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
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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.
Stein, P., & Staake, B. (2013). Toys Galore. London, UK: Walker Books.
ISBN: 9781406346213
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: 5 stars
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Toys are silly.
Toys are fun
Who loves toys?
Everyone!
This book ticks all my 'fun factor' boxes. It is bright. It is rhymey (yes I know it's not a real word). The illustrations are cute. It is just plain fun! I defy you to put it down before you have finished. Not going to happen!!!
The rhyme is easy to pick up, and with lots of repetition little kids will be able to follow along with the humorous text.
The character illustrations are kind of alien'ish, but they are just so awesome. They are bright and happy looking, and just make you want to smile along with them. There are so many great toys to spot. Each page has toys relating to the particular part of the rhyme.
This is such a cool book to add to your collection. It is a fun book for reading aloud either at bedtime ... well maybe not if you are trying to settle your child down to sleep! But certainly great for daytime read-alouds and class read-alouds. Older kids will have fun reading it to their younger buddies. Be careful you don't get your tongue twisted around the words :-)
I got my copy of Toys Galore from the Taradale Primary School library where I work.
You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.
Patterson, R. (2014). Nightbear. London, UK: Jonathan Cape.
ISBN: 9781780080086
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars
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Nightbear is an old bear. He has been around for a very long time. His first owners didn't love him so they gave him away and then he sat for years on the shelf in a charity shop. One day a little girl bought him and took him home to meet all her other bears. They all had important jobs but there was nothing for Nightbear to do. How knows he can be special ... but how?
This is a gorgeous story, told in the first person by Nightbear himself, about his life as a bear. It's kind of like a diary. It is quite a humorous story and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling at the end. Beware though ... there are sad bits - like when he gets put in a bag and given away! :-( With themes of individuality, rejection, Love and acceptance, readers will be able to emphasise with the bears feelings.
The illustrations are colourful and messy. The backgrounds are all in white or muted shades, which makes the main illustrations show up really clearly. The images all have an ink outline, but the colouring is painted 'over the lines' - just like kids would do. They really work with the story ... it's as if Nightbear has illustrated his own book. Oooh, and it's got a sparkly cover!
Rebecca Patterson was the 2012 winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize.
A lovely book for a bedtime read or to read to younger children when they are feeling left out with no friends to play with.
I got my copy of Nightbear from the Taradale Primary School library where I work.
You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.
