#365PictureBooks 7. How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco

Eaton, J.C. (2013). How to Train a Train. London, UK: Walker Books.

ISBN: 9781406350784
Pages: 40
Age Level: Early Childhood 4-6 / Middle Childhood 7-10
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 5 stars

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Oh My God!  I LOVE this book.  From the eye-catching cover and title, to the 'instructional' text and wicked illustrations.  If you can't buy a copy you have to at least borrow a copy to read.  Must!  Must!  Must!  Do it!  Go on - I know you want to. :-)

There are so many books out there on how to train your pet budgie, or dog, or even your dragon.  But what about those kids that don't want a conventional pet.  

"What about those who like cogs and gears more than feathers and fur?  People who prefer the call of a train whistle to the squeal of a guinea pig?  Or maybe dream of a smudge of soon on their cheek, not slobber?"

This hard bound, slightly longer than standard, picture book is a take-off of How to Train Your Dragon, or a conventional pet guide book.  Eaton tells you where you can find trains, suggestions on how to catch one, ideas for naming your train, and how to look after it.  It is told in a very convincing instructional way, as if it were a real training guide.  It's wickedly, tongue-in-cheek, funny! 

John Rocco, recipient of a 2012 Caldecott Honor award for his book Blackout, has spun his magic and illustrated this book.  His use of digitally coloured illustrations, combined with the cleverly incorporated facial features on the engines, perfectly captures the playfulness of the pet trains.

The expressions on the children's faces are just awesome.  From the narrator asking you to follow him while he shows you the best way, to the young girl casually walking down the path in front of her train, to the young boy who's train left a mess in the kitchen.  Classic!  And so true to life.

Oh, and this book is not just for boys!  Oh no!  There are no stereotypes.  Rocco includes girls in some of his illustrations, even one in a pink tutu!  He has also include children of different nationalities, making this a book to be read by anyone. 

Told in a cross between picture book and graphic novel this book is sure to be a hit.

Just in case you are worried that the author doesn't care about his reader, especially as there is an image of a young girl standing in the tracks cornering a stationary train, there is a postscript:

While the author believes that it would indeed be wonderful to track, own, and train one's very own train, he does not suggest that you make a practice of standing in the middle of train tracks.  Just as he does not suggest swimming in a train's bathtub without adult supervision, or traveling to the desert without an adequate water supply and SPF 1000 sunblock, or building a fire by yourself, or operating a train without the proper paperwork, or disobeying traffic laws, or walking across a train trestle several thousand feet up from the ground.  All of these things are extremely dangerous and should be performed only by fully trained illustrated characters. 


There is just so much to like about this book and it will meet the reading needs of so many.  Fans of How to Train Your Dragon will love it.  Kids that have, or want, a pet will love it.  Kids that love trains will love it.  Little kids will love it 'cause it's funny.  Big kids will love it 'cause the just 'get it'.  And teachers & parents will love it.  Did I mention that I LOVE this book!!!  It's  a great book to add to your collection.

Right-o, I'm off to track down my very own train.  I'm thinking a Silver Bullet would be nice.  Hope to catch you all tomorrow ... 

I got my copy of How to Train a Train from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

Oops I can't find this at our local library.
You can check out some other reviews for How to Train a Train on Goodreads.

#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

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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.

#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 4. Dinotrux by Chris Gall

Gall, C. (2012). Dinotrux. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

ISBN: 9780316133920
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Honk! Bam! Burp! Crunch!

Look out cavemen, or you’ll be lunch!

Millions of years ago prehistoric TRUCKS roamed the earth.

They were HUGE.

They were HUNGRY.

But they weren’t helpful like they are today.

They rumbled, roared, and chomped.

And they did NOT get along well with others.

They were called …

DINOTRUX

This is a great twist on the dinosaur theme and will be popular for kids that like the Transformer movies. Gall's simple text with the different fonts make it a visually interesting read for children.

I love his illustrations. They have a dirty look to them which ties in nicely with the story of dirty, smelly, dinosaurs. You can spend simply ages trying to see the similarities between the real dinosaur and the Dinotrux, and trying to figure out what different parts of the truck make up each Dino. They have so much character to them.

Children can continue reading the Dinotrux series as there are a number of early readers published or being published.

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

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 3. Round Fish Square Bowl by Tom Skinner, illustrated by Mini Goss

Skinner, T. (2006). Round Fish Square Bowl. Frenchs Forest, Australia: New Frontier.

ISBN: 9781921042799
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars


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"Have you ever felt as if you don't quite fit in?  

A bit like a square peg in a round hole?"

One of the difficulties of growing up is not fitting in or feeling different.  This book lovingly addresses this issue in a bright and positive way, allowing its readers (of all ages) to take heart and celebrate their difference.

Each page has a common saying accompanied by Mimi Goss's bright simple illustrations. The illustrations are so textured that they almost appear three dimensional, or at least that they are not printed on glossy paper.

The fonts used on each page make a feature of the main point; scared, stubborn, slow... and the whole book invites discussion.





The first half of the book focuses on if you have ever felt a certain way; scared like a little pig, slow like a tortoise..., while the second half turns the sayings around by starting...

"But hey!

That's OK!

Because remember

that sometimes

the opposite is true..."

I love the message on the final page:

“So remember,

be a Square Peg today.

That’s what I say.”

… and yep, I’m gonna be as square as they come :-)

This is a lovely book to read to your child or class to help them feel good about their differences.

I got my copy of Round Fish Square Bowl 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.

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


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"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.