#365PictureBooks 48. Phylys the Farm Truck by Christine Fernyhough & Susan Elijas, photography by John Bougen

Fernyhough, C., & Elijas, S. (2013). Phylys the Farm Truck. Auckland, New Zealand: Random House.

ISBN: 9781775535096
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 4 stars

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Meet Phylys.  She's the shiny new farm truck at Castle Hill Station.  Will she be tough enough to get the jobs of a high-country farm done, or will she be to pretty to try?  And how are the animals on the station going to treat her? 

Christine Fernyhough & Susan Elijas have presented us with a humorous rhyming read-aloud about the every-day happenings on a working farm.  The verse reminds me of The Man from Snowy River (Yes I know it's Australian and this is a New Zealand story) but it's rhythm and language just has a 'down home' feel.

Interspersed with the actual verse are rhyming one-liners from the farm animals which add beautifully to the story.

The illustrations remind me of one of those felt boards that we had as a kid.  You could create & re-create your own 'story' by adding felt characters, buildings, vehicles, trees etc to a felt back-board.  Hours and hours and hours of fun was had.

Susan & Sam Elijas have taken John Bougen's photos, and with the use of collage have designed each spread in a way that is eye-catching.  Their humorous depiction of an everyday occurrence in the farming community is brilliant.  

What a great read-aloud with so many fantastic things to spot on each page.  Keep your eyes open for the little pink mouse who can be seen on each page getting up to all sorts of mischief.

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

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Find out more about Christine Fernyhough here.

Check out Graham Beattie's blog post about Phylys the Farm Truck.

#365PictureBooks 47. Caterpillar Butterfly by Vivian French, illustrated by Charlotte Voake

French, V. (1993). Caterpillar Butterfly. London, UK: Walker Books.

ISBN: 9781406312775
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4 stars

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Caterpillar Butterfly is part of Walker Books Nature Storybooks collection.  Although this and Big Blue Whale (from yesterday's review) have been around for quite a while, they are still a great example of non-fiction narrative books for our younger readers, and provide relevant information on their chosen topic. 

Vivian French tells us the story of when she was a young girl and she and her grandfather watched a family of caterpillars turn into butterflies.  It clearly describes what the different stages are that she is observing, and is presented in a way that younger children can understand.

The book is told in two parts - Vivian's story which is the main text, and lots of facts about the life-cycle of a butterfly, how to tell the difference between them, and the types of food the caterpillars like to eat.

Voake's illustrations are done in muted tones, predominantly green and yellow, on a pale yellow washed background.  The text fits in and around the images of Vivian, her grandpa and the plants that the caterpillars are living on.

My only disappointment is that the text used for the facts is quite hard to read.  Students will struggle to decipher it if they are reading it on their own.  The main body of text has been presented nice & clearly, using double-line spacing and with a language that children will understand.

There is also a simple index at the back, which has been presented on a page of different butterflies and their common names. 

A lovely read-aloud for pleasure with your child or to explain about the life-cycle of a butterfly.  It is also a brilliant teaching tool for use with non-fiction narrative, and descriptive text, particularly for the teachers of our year 3 & 4 students.

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

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

#365PictureBooks 46. Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Nick Maland

Davies, N. (1997). Big Blue Whale. London, UK: Walker Books.

ISBN: 9781406312577
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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Big Blue Whale is part of Walker Books Nature Storybooks collection. 

Nicola Davies uses a non-fiction narrative style to tell the story of the Big Blue Whale,using language that younger children can understand.  She also includes little snippets of facts (in bold and a different font to stand out) within most of the pages that add to the story unfolding.

Like any good non-fiction book it includes an index at the back.  This has been presented in a way for children learning about non-fiction book layout to understand, and includes a reminder to look at both kinds of words within the book - the story and the facts. 

Nick Malland's illustrations have been done in a background of muted tones with the main image being in black ink using a variety of fill techniques.  They are simple and yet quite stunning.  

The images of a young boy and girl (the narrators?) have been used throughout the book to give an indication of size, and shows just how big the Blue Whale is.

This book is perfect as a read-aloud for pleasure with your child or to explain about the largest whale around.  It is also a brilliant teaching tool for use with non-fiction narrative, and descriptive text.  I have been asked to purchase a selection of this Nature Storybooks series as they are particularly useful to the teachers of our year 3 & 4 students.

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

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 45. Lifesize Ocean by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Stuart Jackson-Carter

Ganeri, A., & Jackson-Carter, S. (2014). Lifesize Ocean. London, UK: Kingfisher.

ISBN: 9780753436349
Pages: 24
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

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Wow!  This is an amazing non-fiction book that uses photography to show ocean creatures in their natural environment at at their actual size.   

Taking us on a visual journey through our oceans, starting with the smallest of creatures - Copepods & Pygmy seahorses, and continuing through to our biggest creatures - North Pacific giant octopus & Blue whale, children will be able to get an understanding of just what size these creatures really are.

It is a great tool to use for visual comparisons and size perception, as well as enabling children to actually see what these creatures look like (or at least part of them looks like).

The photography is accompanied by a brief description of each creature.  The language used is appropriate for our younger school students, whilst still providing information in a way that our senior students will be able to use.  The text enhances the images, drawing your eye to points of interest in each scene.

The book ends with two double-page spreads of animal facts giving you more information on the creatures in this book.  Things such as their habitat, length, diet, and lifespan, as well as an amazing fact about each creature.  They also use a photo of a diver as a visual comparison against the sea creatures size.

Two other great visual comparison, size perception and Actual Size books that we have in our library are Actual Size and Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins.  These are great teaching tools, and just awesome and awe-inspiring to look at.

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

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Books with libraries. Just how many am I going to review?

I've reviewed a few picture books lately and a lot of them seem to have some great library scenes in them.  Just for a laugh I thought I'd keep track of which ones they are during my #365PictureBook reviews.  Not that I'm a fan of libraries or anything - yeah right!  Librarian and book lover through and through here.

What do Werewolves do when it's not Halloween? by Heath McKenzie
- Awesome Zombie library scene.

Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Adam Rex
- Chu visits the library with his mum, and then creates complete mayhem in there later when he sneezes at the circus.  

Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Sara Varon
- Theodora visits the library and takes out all the racy and unused titles (My kind of duck!)

Use your Imagination (But be careful WHAT you WISH for!) by Nicola O'Byrne
- The Big Bad Wolf pretends to be a librarian, and convinces the rabbit to use his imagination to write a story.

Between the Pages by Joan van Loon, illustrated by Chantal Stewart
- This is a story that celebrates the pleasure of reading

Doggy Ditties from A to Z by Jo van Dam, illustrated by Myles Crawford
- This book of poetry is written by a Kiwi Librarian ... working at two primary schools :0)

#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?

72276 Website Reviews

As part of the requirements for our 72276 Children's & Young Peoples' paper, our third assignment asks us to review (in no more than 60 words) approximately 20 websites, and then post it on our blog.  So here is my final task of my final assignment of my final paper in my L5 Diploma in Information and Library Studies.  WooHoo!

Task 2:­ Bookmarking favourite websites and resources

Annotated List

This list of 19 websites has been separated into the following categories for easier referral:

• Reviews of literature and information resources for children and young people

• Awards

• Organisations involved in the promotion of reading and literature

• Publishers and booksellers

• Fiction reading and reviews for primary school children

• Fiction reading and reviews for teenagers

• Information resources for primary school children

• Information resources for teenagers

• Other websites I found interesting or useful.

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1)    Reviews of literature and information resources for children and young people – a New Zealand website and an overseas website

The Pulse/te Auaha. (n.d.). About the Pulse/te Auaha. Retrieved January 20, 2015 from http://thepulse.org.nz/About/

Overview

The Pulse is a website ‘by, for, and about young people living in New Zealand, but especially 13 to 18 year olds living in Christchurch and Canterbury’ (The Pulse/te Auaha, n.d., para. 1).  This service has been provided by Christchurch City Libraries and has the backing of the Canterbury District Health Board and City Council.  It provides information and links to all sorts of things relevant to teenagers from book reviews to courses, music to cooking and careers.  

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Books for keeps - the children’s book magazine online. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2015 from http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/

Overview

This is a bi-monthly magazine that reviews children’s books, provides articles on all aspects of writing for children and focuses on a different author or illustrator each issue.  You can view the magazine in its entirety online or read the book reviews, which are split into age ranges, on the website.

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2)   Awards

Association for Library Services to Children: A division of the American Library Association. (2014). Book and Media Awards. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia

Overview

This is the book and media awards page on the ALSC website.  It provides links to the ALSC awards that are announced every January, highlighting the current year’s winners, and providing information about the award and on past years winners.  Awards such as the Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal and Geisel Award are among the listed. 

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Christchurch City Libraries : Nga Kete Wananga-o-Otautahi. (2015). Literary prizes and book awards. Retrieved January 20, 2015 from http://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/literary-prizes/

Overview

The literary prizes and book awards page on the Christchurch City Libraries page links you to a vast selection of book awards, both national and international.  Awards are separated into categories within New Zealand and International.  This enables viewers to easily select the award they are after.  Books are also linked directly to the library catalogue search.

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3)   Organisations involved in the promotion of reading and literature

Booktrust. (2015). About Us. Retrieved January 21, 2015 from http://www.booktrust.org.uk/about-us/

Overview

Booktrust is an independent charity whose aim is ‘to create a society of people who are motivated to read and who see themselves as readers whatever level that might be’ (Booktrust, 2015, para. 3).  They have tips, programmes and news for parents, teachers and librarians.  Books can be searched by Title or Author and an advanced search is offered.  Information is categorised by sector or age group and there are links to research reports undertaken by Booktrust.

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International Digital Children’s Library - a library for the world’s children. (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://en.childrenslibrary.org/about/mission.shtml  

Overview

The International Digital Children’s Library (ICDL) is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to provide free online access to over 10,000 children’s books from all over the world in more than 100 languages.   Their mission ‘is to support the world’s children in becoming effective members of the global community – who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas – by making the best in children’s literature available online free of charge’ (The International Digital Children’s Library, n.d., ‘Mission Statement’).  The website has been designed with and by children to make finding and reading books child friendly.  There are also activities and resources for parents and teachers to promote a love of reading. 

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4)   Publishers and booksellers

The Children’s Bookshop. (2015). Welcome. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from https://childrensbookshop.circlesoft.net/pages/403-Welcome

Overview

There are so many great publishers’ websites, both nationally and internationally, and the booksellers in New Zealand are second to none. One fantastic bookseller is The Children’s Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Wellington.  John’s radio reviews are great to listen to, while their regular newsletter sent to schools is full of information on new and recent books along with a key message each time.

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Random House New Zealand. (n.d.). About. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/about/

Overview

Random House New Zealand’s website provides access to book reviews, author information, news, events, competitions, games and the ability to purchase directly online.  The young reader’s selection is separated into kids, teens and teachers with further groupings in each to make finding books simple.  They have ‘a strong commitment to junior and young adult fiction, as well as non-fiction for young readers’ (Random House New Zealand, n.d., para. 3).

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5)   Fiction reading and reviews for primary school children

Ellis, S. (2015). Home. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://365picturebooksblog.wordpress.com/ 

Overview

#365PictureBooks is a blog by a local fellow-librarian (and ex primary school teacher) started with the intention of posting a picture book review a day for 2015.  The blog reviews new and old picture books that she has sourced from, predominantly, the local library.  These reviews are more relevant to an adult reader. 

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The Children’s Book Review. (2015). About. Retrieved February 1, 2015 from http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/about

Overview

The Children’s Book Review is a US based website devoted to children’s literacy and was ‘named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids’ (The Children’s Book Review, 2015, para. 1).  Books are categorised by age and genre, and the reviews are more appropriate to an adult reader.  They have author spotlights, and interviews, giveaways and a link to their own bookshop.

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6)   Fiction reading and reviews for teenagers

Teen Reads. (2015). Home. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://www.teenreads.com/

Overview

This is an American website which has reviews for, and by, teenagers among other things.  The reviewers join the teen board for a period of 6 months.  There are also reading lists, regular features and review on books coming soon.  Reviews can be viewed by title, author, genre or date. 

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bookzone4boys. (n.d.). About Me. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://bookzone4boys.blogspot.co.nz/p/about-me.html

Overview

The Book Zone (For Boys) is a blog that reviews books that may appeal to boys.  The authors mission ‘is to raise awareness of the vast wealth of ‘boy-friendly’ books’ (bookzone4boys, n.d., ‘Welcome to the book zone’).  The blog also includes author interviews, guest posts and competitions. The author is based in the United Kingdom.

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7)   Information resources for primary school children

Britannica School. (n.d.) Primary Home. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://school.ebonline.co.nz/levels/primary

Overview

Britannica School Primary is a subscription based online encyclopaedia that is free to all schools in New Zealand, via EPIC on the Te Kete Ipurangi website.  The encyclopaedia is student friendly providing information on a variety of topics, and a student zone with activities that help reinforce skills in reading, writing and maths.  There is a teacher link that provides curriculum based tools and a user guide.

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Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. (2015). About Us. Retrieved February 1, 2015 from https://www.clpe.org.uk/page/5

Overview

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) ‘emphasises the importance of children’s literature in enabling children to become confident and enthusiastic readers and writers’ (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, 2015, para. 1).  They are a UK based independent charity.   Their website provides resources and booklists for libraries, teachers and parents.  There is a lot of useful information on here for international schools, although the packs provided are only for UK based schools.

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8)   Information resources for teenagers

AnyQuestions.co.nz Uia Ngā Pātai.co.nz. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://anyquestions.co.nz/

Overview

AnyQuestions.co.nz is a website that offers homework help to students during after-school hours.  Its aim is to provide guidance in finding the answers students need, rather than providing the actual answer to their question.  Uia Ngā Pātai.co.nz is the Te Reo Māori website for kura kaupapa.  It also provides a link to ManyAnswers.co.nz with commonly asked questions.

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New Zealand History Ngā korero a ipurangi o Aotearoa. (2014). Information about this website. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/about-this-site

Overview

This is a useful website for research as it provides information and resources on our history.  There are four tabs providing information in a drill down style: Topics, Events, People and Places, and three broad themes highlight different aspects of ‘Culture and society’, ‘Politics and government’ and ‘War and society’.  There is a large image and media collection, biographies and a ‘today in history’ link.     

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9)   Other websites I found interesting or useful

School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved 15 December, 2014 from http://www.slanza.org.nz/

Overview

The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura (SLANZA) offers support to, and by, school and public librarians and staff around New Zealand.  Contact information for each region is available for anyone needing advice from the local representative.  The resources tab has relevant resources from SLANZA and other institutions.  Links are provided to other school library associations and journals.

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National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa: Services to Schools. (n.d.). About. Retrieved January 31, 2015 from http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/about

Overview

National Library is part of the Department of Internal Affairs and the ‘Services to Schools (S2S) provides resources, expertise, programmes and services to support literacy, learning, school libraries and their services’ (National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa: Services to Schools, n.d., para. 1).  They have an advisory service, a link to the National Library of New Zealand catalogue, access to images and videos, and an online community for networking and support.

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Gill, M., & Orman, L. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved December 27, 2014 from http://kidsbooksnz.blogspot.co.nz/

Overview

KidsBooksNZ is a blog that reviews and promotes children’s books written by New Zealand authors.  They also attempt to provide information on how the books fit into the school curriculum.  Maria is a primary school teacher, and Lorraine is a retired librarian and a book reviewer.