Kindness Makes Us Strong

Sophie Beer
Little Hare

How many ways can you show KINDNESS. In this colourful board book for young children, the numerous children in the pages of this book give just a few emaixples ...

• a friendly hello.
• sharing the path
• taking the turns
• and more.

And of course all the activities and displays of kindness, whether they are big or small, are very relevant for the children (and maybe a few adults too) that this book is created for. Bright colours, simple text and strong board pages all contribute to a book that should be shared and read by all families everywhere.

Perfect for PreSchoolers

These are two just wonderful new series for preschoolers!

SmartyCat

One of the most frequent questions preschoolers ask - 'But Why?" and the answers are here (for some of them) in the SmartyCat series. this is glorious. Wonderfully written text explaining what is happening and lusciously illustrated full colour pictures - and all in an easy format for the young hands to hold. And at the end of each of the SmartyCat books there is a joke and an activity related to the topic of the book. These little books are educational, fun and wonderfully created.

SmartyCat: Frogs Louise Park & Jeannette Rowe (ABC Books)

And the question from SmartyCat for this book is: Where do frogs come from? and the answer is provided by Buddy beaver one of SmartyCat's friends from SmartyTown. There is a simple explanation for preschoolers of the lifecycle of a frog. And that final page activity - making Frog in a pond.

SmartyCat: Butterflies Louise Park & Jeannette Rowe (ABC Books)
And the question from SmartyCat for this book is: Where do butterflies come from? and the answer is provided by Mooey the cow. There is a simple explanation for preschoolers of the lifecycle of a butterfly. And that final page activity - making a clothes peg butterfly.

Little Mates

With slightly more text comes the Little Mates series - a series of 26 small books, again perfect for little hands, that introduces the alphabet. Each title is also themed with a question asked of the reader at the end (Are you amazing too? Are you Bouncy too?) that will stimulate further chatting. The text is filled with alliteration and the illustrations are lovely.

Little Mates: Amazing Amelia Susannah McFarlane & Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic)
Amelia is the most athletic ant on the ant hill but when she has an accident it is up to all her ant friends to give her a helping hand.

Little Mates: Bouncy Ben Susannah McFarlane & Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic)
Ben is the best bouncer in the bush but one day he bounces a little too high and gets stuck in a bush so it is up to his friends to set him free.

 
 
 

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 Youngsters

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.

Glorious picture books to share with younger readers.

Picture Books for Younger Readers

Picture Books are wonderful to share with big and small hands, or read alone in a quiet time. Here are recent publications.

Ruby Makes A Friend Tina Burke (Penguin Books)

Tina burke creates beautiful picture books and this one continues the tradition. When Ruby's big brother leaves for his first day at school a new friend, Milo appears for Ruby ... and a wonderful time begins. They play chaseys and fancy dress; have tea and cake, and draw and heaps of other fun. And when Ruby goes to school ... so does Milo! Together they meet Jacinta and her best friend Boris (a friendly bear) and together they share adventures until Ruby and Jacinta build a cubby house - big enough for just the two of them!A loving story of imagination and friendship.

Norman Enormous Dave Hackett (Penguin Books)

An enjoyable picture book told in rhyming verse about friendships and difference ... The book stars two Normans one enormous and one not-so-enormous. Norman Enormous is lonely so decides to choose someone to invite to afternoon tea ... and that chance choosing finds Norman no-so-enormous. As the Normans gather they are both a little worried because they are soooo different. And things don't go too well to start with but when not so enormous Norman starts conversation these two Norman’s have a great time!

The Wrong Book Nick Bland (Scholastic)

Have you ever tried to tell a story and been interrupted only to resume and then be interrupted again? Well that is what is happening to Nicholas Ickle. Each time he starts to tell the story his is interrupted by characters form other stories including an elephant, a monster, a pirate, a queen and other invited guests. He tells each uninvited visitor that they are in the wrong book and to Go Away! but they stay around.Great illustrations and fun text.

Bananas in Pyjamas by Carey Blyton (ABC Books)
B1 and B2 are back in a brand new edition of the original Banana's song. Kids will love it!

Play School Come and Play - Alphabet (ABC Books)
This is a wonderful sturdy board book for very young hands to grasps and explore. the perfect way to learn the letters of the alphabet in a fun and simple way with Play School.

My Memory Scrapbook With Dorothy the Dinosaur The Wiggles (ABC Books)
Dorothy the dinosaur had such fun making the memory book that she returns this time to create a memory scrap book. With spaces for children to stick in their favourite photos of families, and houses and friends and lots more; and places to stick in other special memories; and spaces to draw pictures this is a fun book to make full of memories.

Fairy Dancing Jen Watts ABC Books.
Little girls love fairies and this lovely TV tie-in book will show them all about fairy dancing and how it is done. The book has simple instructions and photographs of fairies dancing the proper steps so that young fairies will all want to copy the Fairies with Fairy Dancing -- just like they do on The Fairies TV series and the DVDs.

Enjoy these picture books, share them and explore the fun of reading.

Picture Books for Youngsters

Here are three delightful picture books for young kids ... the stories are lovely and there's lots in the illustrations to discover too!

The Littlest Pirate Sherryl Clark & Tom Jellet (Penguin Books)
Nicholas comes from a pirate family but when the littlest pirate's family won't let him go to sea, what does the littlest pirate do? He takes matters into his own hands and of course who comes to the rescue when his family is captured by Red Bear the pirate ... I am sure you will work that one out! A lovely story and great illustrations.

Teaching the Teacher Joan van Loon & Chantal Stewart (UQP)

Every school child at some stage wishes that they could swap places with the teacher ... then they could do the teaching and show the teacher that learning is tough! And that is just what happens when one child imagines!

Felix Pamela Allen (Penguin Books)
When Felix comes down for breakfast he soon finds that Grand is very cross - bread has been nibbled and jam has been licked. And it's up to Felix the cat to find out who the culprit is. When he spies the mouse licking the last of the jam in the jar Felix pounces ... and that's when the trouble really begins - Felix gets stuck and soon the whole family, grandpa, grandma and Molly are trying to free Felix! Pamela Allen picture books are always a delight to share!

Happy reading and picture book investigating.

For The Very Young

These small books are just right for children begining to explore and have fun with books. Just right for little hands!

Star & Sun Natalie Jane Prior & Anna Pignataro (ABC Books)
These are two beautiful little books, the perfect size for little hands, with repetitive text and lovely illustrations.
Star tells us about the end of the day and what it sees - perfect for an end of the day bedtime read! And Sun wakes up the world as the rays shine through forests and window all over the world.

I Love Birthdays and I love Holidays Anna Walker (Scholastic)

Ollie and Fred are back and this time it is birthdays and holidays that they love! Birthdays with balloons, fairy bread, singing party tunes and treasure hunts; and Holidays with picking up shells and splashing by the sea and drippy ice cream!


Froggy Green Anna Walker (Puffin)
A lovely book about colours and differences. Each child in this book likes a different colour Lucy likes orange and Joe likes froggy green, but all his friends at the park like something special.
This board book is great for youngsetsers to handle and play with.

Wonderful gifts and great for sharing.

More (not so new) Picture Books

Recently two picture books published last year came across the desk. These are fun and delightful ... and still available and worth investigating.

Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs Peter Whitfield & Jacqui Grantford (New Frontier)
It's time for bed but there are always a few things that prolong the routine - cleaning teeth, Eskimo kisses, nursery rhymes, cuddles and more all must happen before ... sleep.
This lovely book explores the loving relationship of a mother and child and all that is part of the routine of going to bed!


Five Little Owls Mark Carthew & Mini Goss (New Frontier)
This is a fun hide and seek book. The game is played by five little owls and a bundle of creatures in a moonlit forest.
The rhyming verse is delightful and easy to read and accompanied by bold, bright illustrations. Counting activities and searching for the hiding creatures (as well as a mirror surprise for the reader) are also in the pages.

Picture Book Beauties

I always like discovering new picture books. Here are some of the latest ones with great illustrations and lovely stories!

Mending Lucille Jennifer Poulter & Sarah Davis (Lothian)
This beautifully illustrated book is about a young girl's loss of her mother, the grief and the healing that eventually follows. Her father can't mend Lucille, the young girl's doll only mummy can, but when they meet a friendly waitress she does. And with the same healing and loving touch she helps the young girl too.


Hey, Cat! Felice Arena (Penguin)
Can a cat and mouse really love each other? Well according to this book they can - or can they! You will just have to read this wonderful picture book to see. Cat runs a warm bubbly bath. Cat even scratches mouse's back. The truth is revealed in the hilarious illustrations.


Baby Bird's Blankie Margaret Wild & Gwyn Perkins (Working Title Press)
A glorious story about baby bird who, when it comes to bedtime, keeps throwing his favourite blankie out of the nest - he wants to play instead of sleep. Each time he calls for mum or dad or granny to come and pick up his blankie again ready for the next game.


Jessica's Box Peter Carnavas (New Frontier)
Many children begin school wondering will other children play with me and Jessica has that question too. To make sure that she does have friends Jessica take her box to school - the box will have a surprise but each day she returned home without making any friends. But all that changed the day she took the box to school with something inside that was very special. A Treat.


Not Like Georgie Scott Hatcher, Heather Potter & Mark Jackson (Walker Books)
Beautiful illustrations and delightful text make this book wonderful.
A birthday Party is soon to happen but no one wants to come, every one is to busy and has an excuse not to come to the party but that is okay because Georgie is coming and they will have more fun than with everyone else anyway ... oh and he is this young boy's best friend too!



These picture books for young children are great reads and fun to look over again and again. Hope that you enjoyed some wonderful books this Book Week.

Picture Books

Australia creates wonderful picture books and here are some new ones. Some of these are for babies and preschoolers and other for those slightly older. All of them will be enjoyed.


My Big Sister and also My Big Brother Jeannette Rowe (ABC Books)
These flip the flap books are just perfect for the very young. Great for reading aloud and sharing they even have a page at the back of the book for children to glue in their own photos of their favourite big sister or brother. Flip these flaps to find out why big brothers and big sisters are so special.


Dorothy's Memory Book Bruno Bouchet & Mitch Vane (ABC Books)
Fans of Dorothy the dinosaur and Wags the dog are going to really enjoy this book as the two stars take a trip down memory lane flipping through Dorothy's new photo album. A beautiful book about friendship and caring.

Brave Little Penguin Anna Pignataro (Scholastic)
This is a lovely story about a little penguin and his dad and the discovery by Little Penguin of independence that he never knew he had! Nothing though could be better than when Papa comes back from fishing and together they call in the stars one by one.


Sometimes Love is Under Your Foot Colin Thompson (Scholastic)
Kevin the dog loves the family he lives with but he especially like Brian (the dad). The family love him too although Brain often ignored Kevin and sometimes even stepped on his tail. When Brian becomes ill things change and soon instead of stepping on his tail, sending him outside or ignoring him Brian and Kevin become wonderful friends.


Special Kev Chris Mckimmie (Allen&Unwin)
Special Kev is special because out of all his eleventy million cousins he is the only one with curly red hair and freckles. Love is strong in his extended family but when Kev's cousin moves away he becomes lonely and soon gets into trouble when he plays football with Nicky. A story about love and family and friends and everyone being special.

Cindy-Ella Tom Champion and The Redback On The Toilet Seat Slim Newton (Scholastic)
Two more Aussie Gems that take classic aussie titles a new life.
Cindy-ella is of course the Cinderella story told in a totally aussie setting while redback is an wonderfully illustrated version of the classic redback song

Enjoy these wonderful Aussie picture books ... and don't forget - reading is power!

Play School Board Books

The Play School team have created two new beautiful board books - just perfect for children who are starting to explore the wonder of books and language. Both of these sturdy books feature the wonderful Play School characters children easily recognise.

Play School Come and Play
Words (ABC Books)
Numbers (ABC Books)

Words like house, clock, chair, fish, bird and teddy bear are all discovered in WORDS. Each page contains a familiar word or words, a well known verse or rhymne featuring that word and a piecture of the wonderful play school characters or creations. There's not only a bear in there .....

NUMBERS begins with the familiar rhyme One, two, three, four, five! Once I caught a fish alive ... and then begins the play with numbers! Each double page has the number, the word for the number, a picture and verse.

Great books for little hands!

For Pre-Schoolers

Here are a few recently published books for pre-schoolers. These titles are great to read. The pages are made from card, they have brightly coloured illustrations and the books are FUN!

Whose Wings? Jeannette Rowe (ABC Books)
Jeannette Rowe has created the brightly coloured and sturdy whose series of lift the flap books. In Whose Wings? children can flip the flap and discover who owns the different wings that are revealed on each page. This series has bold colours and animals or features or objects, easily recognised by pre-schoolers. other titles include Whose baby? Whose Teeth? Tail? House? and Whose Poo?

A Wiggly Word House The Wiggles (ABC Books)
The Wiggles are a HIT and they will be a hit with this new series of books especially designed for the pre-schoolers. In Wiggly Word House children explore and learn to love language. There are puzzles, word matching and other language activites to do with your kids. There are even riddles from the Wiggles!

Purr Alison Lester (ABC Books)
One of the titles in a new series - Talk to the Animals. In this book, with colourful images and rhyming text, children are introduced to pet animals (some they might even have) and the sounds that the animals make.

AND

Are You Hungry? Tina Burke (Puffin)
This book was published earlier this year. It is perfect for pre-schoolers. This nearly wordless picture book, about a little girl and her puppy who set off for a picnic and meet a lot of hungry animals along the way, is a story of friendship and sharing. It is a great book for adults and their preschoolers to 'read' and create a story -- together.