Margaret Wild Picture Book Treats

Margaret Wild is the wonderful creator of the most gorgeous picture book texts and here are three of her latest.

Hush, Hush! Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo (Little Hare)
In this gorgeous sequel to the hugely popular Kiss Kiss! it is the end of the day and a restless Baby Hippo is having trouble falling asleep so off he walks and as he wanders he hears those words 'Hush, Hush' as other mother animals hush their babies to sleep. Soon baby hippo begins to yawn and he knows what to do ... he retraces his steps until he gets back to his mother (seeing sleeping animals along the way) and soon snuggles up to sleep.
Gentle soothing rhythmic text will make this a bedtime favourite.

Kiss Kiss! (My Little Library) Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo (Little Hare)
First published in 2003 this is a new edition of this hugely popular book in the My Little Library collection of books. It is just delightful and if you missed it in its first version then jump on in and grab this one for the home library.
Baby hippo wakes one morning and is in such a hurry to ge tout and play that he forgets to give his mum a kiss. as he wanders baby hippo hears other baby animals giving their mothers a 'kiss kiss'. Suddenly he stops and remembers what he has forgotten to do so baby hippo retraces his steps until he gets back to mum and ... well we all know what happens!

No More Kisses Margaret Wild & Nina Rycroft (Little Hare)
This lovely repetitive text with terrific soft illustrations will have toddlers and their parents playing with the sound words in this book.
The three animals are in the garden playing Baby runs away after lots and lots of kissing with the other two animals in hot pursuit first up the steps where they go trip trap, trip trap and then down a slide where they go whooshy-whoo, and more until they end up under the old oak tree were baby finally stops and it is Baby's turn to start smothering the others in kisses!

Enjoy these fantastic Picture Book treats by Australia's best Picture book creator.

More Picture Book Treats for Youngsters

Enjoy these delights for babies and toddlers.

Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House Libby Gleeson & Freya Blackwood (Little Hare)

Clancy and his family have moved to a lovely house but to Clancy this house is just way too big. Clancy remembers the beauty of his old familiar house. When outside he discovers the pile of moving boxes and starts playing with them. A voice from Millie, his new neighbour, is heard and soon the two are playing with the boxes, creating towers to the sky and trains all over the garden. Then together they build houses, just like the three little pigs until they build the best house that is a very fine dwelling that Clancy loves.
This book about friendship, change, moving house and belonging from this award-winning team is just delightful. Lovingly written and gorgeous illustrations.

Ivy Loves to Give Freya Blackwood (Little Hare)
Beautiful illustrations make this a very special book about giving.
Ivy loves to give and she gives lovingly. Sometimes the gifts she gives are not quite right, although they are always given with love. They might be too big, or too small - slippers to a snail, glasses to a dog, tea to a chicken. But sometimes Ivy gives gifts that are just right - the right fitting glasses to grandma, or slippers to father, or the perfect cup of tea.
This is a book that is a celebration of giving and receiving!

Count My Kisses, Little One Ruthie May & Tamsin Ainslie (Little Hare)
A sweet new counting book with simple rhyming text for babies and toddlers that is of course filled with kisses.
A young girl and her toys, with the dog being the baby, and numbers and love hearts for kisses are in this small book which is great for small hands.
One kiss for baby on baby’s nose.
Two kisses for baby tickling toes.
This will be just right as the last book before bedtime - along with the kisses for baby!

More coming soon ...

Picture Book Treats for the Young

These picture books are just delighful for sharing with young readers.

Itsy-Bitsy Babies Margaret Wild & Jan Ormerod (Little Hare)

This is just beautiful and perfect to share with a baby or youngster. I love the baby pictures and the simple verse.

Mums and dads everywhere will be doing the itsy-bitsy baby ...
playing peek-a-boo,
twiddling toes,
wrinkling up noses,
playing all fall down,
looking through legs and a whole lot more.

Two Bad Teddies Kilmeny Niland (Little Hare)

Two Bad Teddies is oh so good. I just love the illustrations of the teddies ... and those facial expressions show how bad they really are! This is such a delight and so very lovely.

Gruffy and Tilly are Mollie-Sue's teddies (from the delightful book Two Tough Teddies) and they do everything together but one day a new toy arrives - Bendy Bill and he even squeaks. When Bendy Bill becomes the centre of attention the two teddies soon find things to dislike about Bendy Bill and they show it too. But when Gruffy falls out the window it is Bendy Bill that stretches his arms to do the rescue and teh three become friends.

A beautiful book about jealousy, friendship and sharing.

The Flying Orchestra Clare McFadden (UQP)

Have you ever heard music on windy days? If you have then it must be the flying orchestra playing those melodies.

The Flying Orchestra's repertoire includes
a violin solo for someone missing their train,
a symphony at the airport for a traveller coming home,
even a concerto when someone stay awake all night thinking!
Music is all around us ... we just have to stop and listen.
This is a lovely tale with deligthful illustrations - listen to it as well with some delighful music!

More picture book treats soon.

Great Fiction Reads for Independent Readers

I have just finished reading three great fiction titles for independent readers, each are special in their own way and all great reads.

Send Simon Savage Stephen Measday (Little Hare)
Simon arrives home from school to be confronted first by police and then federal agents (they wear dark suits Ray-Ban sunglasses). His dad is missing, drowned under mysterious circumstances ... and soon pronounced dead. The agents immediately start searching Simon's father's home office for research papers and his computer because Simon's father was working on a top-secret government project. They leave, but not before scanning the family with a forensic scanning device. And within months Simon and his family have moved from Australia and are in England and Simon has been enrolled at a very special school. Simon has become an agent for the very secretive Time Bureau ... agents, temponauts, who travel through time! But as well as travelling through time on mission for the Tim Bureau Simon also has a mission to find out about his father's disappearance!
Fantastic, riveting read. Where will Simon go next?

Chess Nuts Julia Lawrinson (Puffin)
A wonderful read about friendship, sports, chess (of course) and
Anna loves chess - in fact she is a chess nut and captain of her schools chess team. She loves chess. Jackson is the schools star athlete, racing for the title of the Outstanding athlete of the year for the school. Anna detests the physical sports and the sporting people, so admired by the school population. So when Jackson, joins the schools chess club and shows that he is also an excellent chess player (as well as a sporting jock) Anna has to confront her sporting issues (and learn to do some running too) and Jackson has to make some very serious decisions.
It's great to see a title where chess is the star school sport!


Willy Waggle-Dagger: By the Picking of My Nose Martin Chatterton & Gregory Rogers (Little Hare)
Wearing a fake beard to see the latest production of hugely famous Black Skulls, we meet young illy Shakespeare wearing a big false ginger beard (because he is in disguise as only grown-ups are allowed inside the theatre). Soon Willy is hiding beneath the Queen's petticoats. but when the beard starts tickling the queen - chaos begins and Willy is on the run. The Queen's guards are chasings him. His own father is chasing him! Where will Willy hide .. with the Black Skulls of course!
There are giggles and laughter by the bucket loads with this book - which is not quite Shakespeare as we know it although there are plenty of links to the great bard and his works!
Hilarious fun, lovely reading and terrific illustrations.

More Treats

The Tomorrow Book Jackie French & Sue de Gennaro (Angus&Robertson)
This is a book for today about the environment, about change and very timely - how important BOOKS and LIBRARIES are!
A young prince has been left in charge of the kingdom by his parents who are off travelling in their royal campervan. Using the resources of the palace library (a must for every palace) the prince sets about improving real life which, as it turns out, is nothing like he imagined!

When the local kids visit informing the prince that water is sparse the Prince access the library and suggests water collection, when they ask for better ways to get around he suggests solar or helium to fly!... and heaps more. As well as the great text the pictures, with their own reusing message, and wonderful.

This book is also printed on recyclable paper from sustainable plantation forest. All in all just brilliant.

Mum And Me Anne White (Lothian)

What is so good about mothers? Well this charming book written in rhyming verse shares all those special delights between a mother and daughter that include wearing favourite clothes, painting nail polish on toes, wishing and laughing and playing hide and seek, and making yummy food.

With Mother's day just around the corner this book is a timely addition to the library.


Many more gorgeous picture books shortly.

Picture Book Treats

Heaps of Picture books have arrived so here we being with a few ....

The Littlest Pirate and the Hammerheads Sherryl Clark & Tom Jellett (Puffin)

The latest instalment in the Littlest Pirate is just terrific.
This time Captain Hammerhead is to blame for the ill state of Nicholas' family, and for the stolen treasure, so with barely a crew, Nicolas sails in hot pursuit of the much bigger and deadlier Captain hammerhead. Of course Nicholas might be the littlest pirate but he is very, very clever and it is amazing what he can create with the sparse food in the galley to deter sharks, and how he can protect himself with his special garlic repellent used in the water.
Pirate lovers all over will enjoy this adventure.

All Together Now Phil Cummings & Cassandra Allen (Scholastic)
Dad is organising the family holiday. Things are pretty desperate but they head off for Wallaby Creek to camp and sing songs and to enjoy - even the cat and dog are in the truck too ... they check the map and camp under the gums. And as you read this if it all feels like tie me kangaroo down ... well you might just be right because this time it is:
Throw your bags on the truck, kids, Throw your bags on the truck.
Stop your running amuck, kids, And throw your bags on the truck.

Can I Cuddle the Moon Kerry Brown & Lisa Stewart (Scholastic)
A fluffy baby owl is looking for something to cuddle including the moon, a shining star, the sun, a butterfly and even a snake (and many more unusual things). Each time baby owl considers what to cuddle advice is offered from the mother-owl nearby until eventually baby owl realises that the cuddle is there right under baby owl's nose.