Fearless Colin Thompson & Sarah Davis (ABC Books)Lots of folks think bulldogs are scary looking animals ... so naming a bulldog Fearless would usually be just right. And just like people are sometimes given the wrong names it was especially the same with Fearless -- Fearless wasn't! If a car backfired in the street - so did Fearless. He knew there were scary things everywhere, like dangerous black handbags and stairs and monsters! But eventually Fearless does live up to his name when a not-too-nice visitor arrives at the house one night!
Kids will love the story and adore Sarah's fantastic illustrations - especially of the dangerous monsters and the facial expressions of Fearless.
Ten Little Hermit Crabs Lee Fox & Shane McG (Allen&Unwin)This is a delightfully bright counting book told in rhyming verse.
Ten little hermit crabs scuttle to the sea ... and of course something happens and the ten become 9, the 9 become 8 and so it goes until there is just one little hermit crab sitting on the pier all alone. But that little hermit crab shouldn’t worry ... all turns out well in the end when the nine reappear!
The illustrations are bright, especially with the hermit crab’s ever changing shells. And includes a nice note about hermit crabs in the world too. Great for youngsters starting to count and play.
To The Top End: Our Trip Across Australia Roland Harvey (Allen&Unwin)Roland Harvey has been creating some of the best Australian picture books for ages and this one continues his outstanding tradition. Readers of all ages will delight in pouring over the illustrations examining all the action on the pages as they follow the twisty windy words.
This time the family is off on an adventure travelling from Tassie to the very tip of The Top End. And of rouse there are happenings in each of the environments that they visit. Lots of jokes in the illustrations too (beginning with the scale of the map on the end papers) ... and there is a football to find in every illustration - I missed one or two!
Halloween In Christmas Hills: The Legend of Stingy Jack Karen Tayleur & Heath McKenzie (blackdogbooks)Just in time here comes this funny picture book. Everyone in the Johnson family has a favourite holiday and come Halloween time they all dress up and go trick or treating and for the first time Miles gets to join in! They can visit all the neighbour's houses in the street ... except for Stingy Jack's house. But Cameron doesn't listen and rings the doorbell and doesn’t run away! When stingy Jack opens the door Cameron is in for a really big surprise.
What Will Baby Do? Mike Dumbleton & Craig Smith (Working Title Press)A beautiful rhyming picture book that is just great for babies and their parents to read and read and read again. It features the important things in a baby's day - eating, bathing, going on an outing, sleeping ... and of course being loved.
Bib ... Bowl ... and small spoon, too. Now what will baby do?
Delilah's Dream Ian Trevaskis & Janine Dawson (New Frontier)
Delilah is a hen and she dreams of adventure but her sisters in the coop laugh at her dreams. Still Delilah continues dreaming and one night, when Delilah senses an intruder is coming to threaten their existence she puts her dreams into actions and it is Delilah the dreamer who saves the coop!
With delightful bright illustrations this a lovely tale of dreams coming true and friendship.
Grandpa Baby Margaret Wild & Deborah Niland (Penguin)This wonderful storyteller and illustrator have teamed up to create a picture book that grandpas and their grandkids are just going to love.While Georgie's parents are at work she is looked after by grandpa but one day their roles are reversed and it is Georgie who decides that he is big enough to look after grandpa. Soon Grandpa baby is doing all the things that little kids love to do with their grandparents ... like walking on the fences and pressing traffic light buttons and hanging on the monkey bars. When Grandpa Baby trips over and hurts his knee, it's Georgie who kisses it better but when grandpa baby stops halfway to home Georgie has to be creative to get them both home. Just beautiful.
