Children's Book Council Early Childhood Short List

Children's Book Council of Australia

Now that I have finished reading the Children's Book Council of Australia's Younger Reader and Older Reader short list, I thought I would move on to their two picture book categories. The CBC has an Early Childhood list and a Picture Book list. This came about almost 20 years ago when they realised there was a good number of picture books for older readers being produced and it was not really fair to be judging them against those picture books for younger children. 

This post will look at all 6 of the Early Childhood Short listed books. It's a bit of a long one, so grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

The Swap - written by Jan Ormerod, illustrated by Andew Joyner

Caroline Crocodile is jealous of all the attention her baby brother is getting from their mother. When her mother goes to swap a hat that isn't quite right, Caroline figures she can do the same with her baby brother.
As the youngest of 3, I can only imagine the disgruntled feelings a new baby can cause in older siblings. Jan Ormerod explores this sensitive topic with tact and a sense of humour.

Source: Momo Celebrating Time to Read

Andrew Joyner's illustrations beautifully compliment the text. Caroline's expression leaves you in no doubt how she feels and while many on the pictures have a lot going on (look for the white rabbit running late, a lama reading an ereader, a mouse that crashed his motorbike), they don't feel busy. A lovely book to remind parents and older siblings that brothers and sisters are important too.

Banjo and Ruby Red - written by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Banjo and Ruby red have a love hate relationship. Banjo barks, Ruby Red ignores. She goes into the chook pen when she is ready and not a minute before. On day when Banjo barks, Ruby Red is not in her customary spot on the wood heap. Banjo goes looking, but is he too late to save Ruby?
Libby Gleeson writes a lovely story about friendship without hitting you over the head with it. Friendships have different forms, but at the end of the day, you're there for you friends when they need you.

Source: Freya Blackwood Blog

Freya Blackwood's illustrations are beautiful. She portrays the chaos of the hens being rounded up, Banjo's frustration and Ruby Red's dignity in simple, but effective illustrations. Equally well drawn is Banjo's concern, his care and the cementing of their friendship. Beautiful.

Kissed by the Moon - written and illustrated by Alison Lester

Alison Lester has written a prayer that any parent would pray for their baby. It's pure, classical Lester - lyrical, heartfelt and beautifully illustrated in her trademark style. I would think the advantage of being an author/ illustrator is being able to match the vision of how the pictures will highlight the text.

Source: Alison Lester

Lester's pictures are always lovely, whimsical and fun. (If you click the link under the illustration above it takes you to a page where you can buy Alison Lester prints!) She often takes me back to the magic of the world seen through the eyes of a child. This book would be the perfect present for a new mum and bub.

I'm a Dirty Dinosaur - written by Janeen Brian, illustrated by Ann James

Fun! Perfect word to describe this book - pure, unadulterated fun! A book kids can get involved with a be noisy about - stomping, shaking and roaring. And what's more fun than getting dirty, playing in the mud and stomping about!

Source: Brona's Books

However, it's Ann James' illustrations that make this book special. The illustrations are simply but incredibly effective. I've never seen a more joyful dinosaur in my life! James perfectly captures Janeen Brian's words and lifts to the wonderful height it reaches. A must for any dinosaur lover.

Baby Bedtime - written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Emma Quay

This is what I call a ritual book. One of those books which describe a betime ritual and where the reading of it becomes a ritual itself. Mem Fox is good at them - 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes was a staple part of our bedtime for months!
Mem Fox specialises in making the simplest words special. She repeats things we've said to our babies - I could gobble up your toes - or thought - I could gaze at you all night. Along with the gentle rhythm of the text, it's a wonderful read aloud.

Source: Emma Quay and her Books

Emma Quay's pictures a beautiful compliment to Fox's words. Soft, textured and warm. Along with pencil and acrylic paints, she has utilised op shop finds like doilies, lace, belts and baskets. To top it all off, she has finished it off with photoshop edits - a perfect moulding of old and new.

Granny Grommet and Me - written by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Karen Blair

Granny Grommet meets her grommet friends at the beach where they surf, soak in rock pools and snorkel over the reef. Our narrator is a little less sure about the ocean - there are strange things under the waves - but with a little gentle encouragement, they are soon discovering the delights of the beach.
Dianne Wolfer has covered many themes in this book. Being older doesn't stop you doing the things you love, friendship, fear and overcoming it and the natural environment. Any of these themes could be explored further with this book. I love the gentle nature of the narrators discoveries, Their fear is overcome by small things, insignificant by themselves, but a powerful force added together.

Source: Mumabytes

Karen Blair's pictures capture the different aspects of a beach perfectly. Wide expanses of blue, white edged water and long sandy beaches, warm shallow rock pools and the amazing world found on the reef. I also love that the gender of our narrator isn't clear in the text or the pictures, allowing children to insert themselves into the story easily.

Book Review: Death Comes to Pemberley

From Goodreads: The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome and healthy sons in the nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and the orderly world of Pemberley seems unassailable. But all this is threatened when, on the eve of the annual autumn ball, the guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland. As it pulls up, Lydia Wickham - Elizabeth's younger, unreliable sister - stumbles out screaming that her husband has been murdered. Inspired by a lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen, PD James masterfully recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice, and combines it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly-crafted crime story. Death Comes to Pemberley is a distinguished work of fiction, from one of the best-loved, most- read writers of our time.

Thoughts: Having recently come to discover the joy that is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, I was curious to see what other authors could do with it. Let's face it, one  of the biggest problems with finishing a well loved book is the want, even the need to know what happens next! Do they live happily ever after? Do they have children? Does everyone else come to terms with the fact that Darcy married not only a woman who was seen as beneath him, but also appeared to hate him? So many questions!!
And yes, they were mostly answered, but as to whether it was satisfactory or not may be up for debate. For me, this lacked...something. The plot trudged along, neither slackening it's pace or picking up. Elizabeth seemed to have lost some of her fierce independent mindedness that I loved in the original. Darcy was a little lacklustre too, although Lydia and Wickham lived up to expectations.
If you're a fan of P&P, by all means read it. Just don't expect to fall in love with it or with James' interpretation of the characters. 

Fifty Shades of Grey

Title: 50 Shades of Grey

Author: E.L James

Genre: Fiction
Audience: Adult
Format: Kindle

FromGoodreads: When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.
The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.
Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?
What I thought: So there was just too much hype about this book to not read it, especially when I was hearing so many mixed reports about it – another one of those love it or hate it type books – and I will admit the “sexy content” had me interested. So what did I think – not good, not good at all.

I have several issues with the book – the first being simply how badly it was written. I can see the bare bones of an ok book in this, but it needed a damn good editor willing to insist on some major changes. In fact much of the book reads like a first draft to me. Characters, especially Ana’s friends Kate and they guy who has a crush on her (can't remember his name!) are incredibly two dimensional where they could have added so much to the story line. Their concern for Ana and her confusion, bouts of tears and sadness seem incredibly superficial and not in line with the type of friendship Ana claims to have with them.

As for Ana....I am truly at a loss as to how she goes from sweet innocent, never done a thing virgin to a full on multiple orgasming creature. I know there is a high level of fantasy in this book, but seriously, at least try to maintain some sense of reality. Her repeated catch phrases of things like Oh my...My inner godess...my subconscious...Lord knows I can’t blame Christian Grey for wanting to slap her, I sure as hell wanted to! And while I have no problem with her willingness to try new things, I do have an issue with her doing things she is obviously uncomfortable with.

It should come as no surprise that I’m not enamoured of Christian either. Another two dimensional character with a fetish. Yes, yes, it’s lovely that he has a contract drawn up and is willing to negotiate it, but the handsome, ridiculously wealthy, self made man who has a dangerous side – please, can you get any more clichéd!

Apart from the bad writing and the flat characters, I have a huge issue with yet another portrayal of an unrealistic relationship where the girl is seemingly unable to think for herself and allows her life to become controlled by a man. I just think it is such the wrong message to be sending to women of any age, but especially young women. I know how this ends, and how it could be perceived as Ana growing a backbone and standing up for herself, but from what I understand from conversations with others who have read all three of the books, it doesn’t stay that way. I may be wrong, but I’m not going to read the other two to find out. In the end this is one of those books where I am going to end up disagreeing with many people about it. It's trash, through and through. It's popularity is completely due to the controversial nature of the story line. Anyone looking for a recommendation from me would be told to stay right away and not to waste their time.

 

Challenges: eBook Challenge