5 Stars | Lost in a Good Book

Rodney Loses It! by Michael Gerard Bauer

21 Sep 2018 2 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: aussie books, cbca 2018, chrissie krebs, five stars, michael gerard bauer

Published: 1st September 2017
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Illustrator: Chrissie Krebs
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Rodney was a rabbit who loved nothing more than drawing. He never found it tiresome, tedious or boring. But then one day, disaster struck, the one thing Rodney feared, while working at his drawing desk his pen just…DISAPPEARED!

I loved this book. The rhymes were clever and I easily got into the rhythm, and the story is excellent and funny. This is a book where the illustrations match perfectly to the story, it a story that relies on the pictures and the keen eye of the reader. This book can easily be enjoyed by adults and children; the children love it because it’s funny and Rodney is silly, the adults because it reflects situations they have probably had themselves which makes it even funnier.

Krebs’ illustrations are colourful and stand out either on a page to themselves or placed next to the text which is a format which works well to enhance Bauer’s story. Krebs brings Rodney’s world to life showing off his drawings and his love for his pen Penny, and his humorous distress when she goes missing.

This was on the CBCA 2018 Shortlist and ended up winning the Early Childhood category which is well deserved. The title works on two separate levels which is a joy, and Krebs’ illustrations are comedic and as I say, match perfectly with the words. You see Rodney’s frustrations and kids will delight in seeing his manic expressions and chaotic desk while he tries to find his missing things.

You can purchase Rodney Loses It! via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Angus & Robertson | Fishpond

QBD | Amazon Aust

A Boy, a Bear, a Balloon by Brittany Rubiano

31 Aug 2018 4 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: brittany rubianp, children's picture book, disney, five stars, mike wall, winnie the pooh

Published: 3rd July 2018
Publisher: Disney Press
Illustrator: Mike Wall
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Retelling touching scenes from the upcoming Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming Christopher Robin film, this charming picture book finds Christopher reuniting with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, and the rest of his old friends when he returns to the Hundred Acre Wood for the first time since childhood. As he returns to the life he once new, Christopher sees the world through new eyes and discovers that even as everything around us seems to change, the most important things remain constant.

I have an intense love for Winnie the Pooh so of course I was eager to read this new picture book featuring my favourite bear. Rubiano does a good job mixing the old and the new, even putting in the dedication a quote from one of the best Winnie the Pooh films: Pooh’s Grand Adventure.

My heart did a small leap of joy as I recognised many of Milne’s quotes from the original books, reworked into this story which only brought the woods back to life and reminded me how much I adore these characters. The story also casually revisits some of the original Pooh adventures, seen now through the eyes of the older Christopher Robin which reminds us how much he has changed. He visits his old friends and they fail to see the young boy they knew in this man who has entered their woods.

Rubiano doesn’t quite catch the tone of Milne’s writing, it is very close, and you can see where it’s drawing from, but at the same time I don’t think it’s meant to mimic it exactly. This is her own story that is reflecting part of the upcoming film. With that in mind it is unfair to make it live up to the previous Winnie the Pooh books. Coming at these beloved characters from the mind of an adult like Christopher Robin, but still telling the story to children (or even those who left the woods a long time ago), it has a suitable tone and one that still manages to reignite that love and affection.

The illustrations are a beautiful mixture between Shepherds and the ever familiar Disney. I loved how Wall has brought his style to the characters while still keeping them familiar. The colours are beautiful and his designs are simplistic and elegant, showing just enough detail.

There is a lot of responsibility to writing and illustrating for Winnie the Pooh (in my view anyway), but this book does a beautiful job in presenting a story for those of us who are a little but more grown up and find ourselves wandering back to the Hundred Acre Woods.

Because of the popularity and endearing nature of Winnie the Pooh there is always going to be reminders about other adaptations and in those final pages. On that final page I found my mind immediately going to a quote from the masterpiece 1977 film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:

“Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in their enchanted place on top of the forest, a little bear will always be waiting”.

*cue Amy sobbing*

You can purchase A Boy, A Bear, A Balloon via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository |

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Wordery

Fishpond | QBD

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

20 Aug 2018 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Non Fiction Tags: biography, elena favilli, five stars, francesca cavallo, non fiction

Published: 1st December 2016
Publisher: Timbuktu Labs
Pages: 212
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Non Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a children’s book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female artists from all over the world. This book inspires girls with the stories of great women, from Elizabeth I to Serena Williams.

This is a brilliant book. It is a precursor to other great books like She Persisted which tell the stories of history’s most famous and often forgotten women whose achievements have changed the world and inspired those around them.

I loved the format of these stories. The one page biographies for each of these amazing women is a wonderful experience to read. They are told in the same vein of fairytales with the “There once there was a…” style introductions, but these stories are far from fairytales. Each of these incredible women have defied the odds and succeeded in their chosen fields, often when many, including many men, told them they couldn’t or shouldn’t.

It is truly an inspiring read to see what these women have gone through and how they have overcome various obstacles and become stronger for it and achieved their dreams and their goals. Favilli and Cavallo have brought together 100 of history’s greatest women from around the globe, across fields, and throughout history and shared their stories with the world. The list of rebel girls include an A-Z of pioneers from Ada Lovelace all the way down to Zaha Hadid. You can’t help but get a bit emotional as you read these stories, strength and resilience of these women and girls don’t define them, but their passion and determination is admirable and empowering.

“When a woman decides to change, everything changes around her” – Eufrosina Cruz

“We will no longer negotiate for our existence” – Fadumo Dayib

These biographies are told simply but with power. From the very first page the preface lets us know that this is an important book, one that has brought understanding, hope and inspiration to many of the readers. It is a book filled with so many inspirational messages from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Each accompanied by a beautiful illustration by a range of female artists that capture who these fabulous women are and were.

These are the kinds of books we need to keep creating. History has forgotten and pushed aside so many amazing women and their achievements, and there are enough of them throughout history to fill many more books to come. Something I can only hope continues to happen.

“It is important that girls understand the obstacles that lie in front of them. It is just as important that they know these obstacles are not insurmountable. That not only can they find a way to overcome them, but that they can remove those obstacles for those who will come after them, just like these great women did.”

You can purchase Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Wordery

Angus & Robertson | Dymocks

Audible | Fishpond

Penguin Problems by Jory John

17 Aug 2018 5 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, five stars, jane smith, jory john

Published: 27th September 2016
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

What?!

Oh, you’re going to read this book? Somehow I seriously doubt that. I bet you won’t even finish reading this flap.

Don’t worry about it. Why would you want to learn about some penguin’s problems when you have plenty of problems of your own? Just look around. The world’s a mess!

Besides, you probably don’t even like penguins. Heck, I barely like penguins and I am a penguin.

Seriously, I’ll understand if you put the book back on the shelf. Go ahead. It’s for the best.

I’m sure you’d just get a bunch of paper cuts, anyway. And you’d probably bend the pages. And you’d get your little fingerprints everywhere.

When was the last time you washed those grubby hands of yours? No offense.

Sigh.

Listen: I’m going back to bed. Read, don’t read. Buy, don’t buy. Whatever.

Just try not to wake me up.

I’m a light sleeper.

And I have a lot on my mind.

The first cute thing about this book is the front cover. The second cute thing is the little blurb on the inside of the cover. I was in love with this book before I’d even gotten to the title page to find out what it was even called. The book is in fact called Penguin Problems and it is fantastic! I fell deeper in love with Smith’s beautiful little illustrations, they are simple and yet convey so much at the same time. I felt the hardships of this little penguin and I loved him for that.

The little penguin complains about the cold, about how his beak is cold and it gets dark. He has problems like orca and leopard seals and he doesn’t know who his mum and dad are. I adored this little penguin who complained so much. It is a funny book that make me laugh multiple times. The words are simple but they tell a story and the illustrations make the experience even more fulfilling,

The illustrations are a combination of single images and large full page ones. Smith balances these out wonderfully to match the needs of the story. The single image of a penguin lying on his back on a small mound of snow is the perfect representation for the start of the book.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it doesn’t go where you expect it to. I wasn’t expecting to read about a penguin who hated the cold, and as I read on there were more surprises and by the end even when you think you know where it’s going, you don’t. I loved that in this picture book that has so few words and so few pages that this great little journey could be gone on so successfully and with such wonderful humour and cuteness.

You can purchase Penguin Problems via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Wordery

Angus & Robertson | Dymocks

Fishpond | QBD

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

15 Aug 2018 3 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Crime, Historical Tags: crime, five stars, historical, stuart turton

Published: 8th February 2018 (print) / 1st March 2018 (audio)
Publisher: Raven Book / Bolinda/Audible
Pages: 512 / 16 hrs and 41 mins
Narrator: Jot Davies
Format: Audio
Genre: Historical/Crime
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

I loved this book. I loved that I was confused, intrigued, amazed, perplexed. I loved that my brain nearly short circuited as I tried to get my head around what I knew, what clues I should be picking up on, weaving together this story told in fractures and out of order and yet happening all at the same time.

Turton takes you on a journey unlike any before to help solve a mystery like you’ve never seen, I cannot believe this is his debut novel. What he has done is incredibly complicated but brilliant. It’s the desire of every detective to see everyone’s perspective of the moments before a murder and with a mystery and a loop trapping the participants, it is the opportune moment to piece together clues and motives. Don’t let the 500 pages daunt you, it’s an intricately woven puzzle that makes use of the space and has the feel of an old fashion mystery, information obtained through observing and questioning, lurking and snooping, and secret meetings in the library.

I loved the loop. I love anything that has a loop factor. Turton plays with this notion creatively and in an odd way it reminds me of playing a computer game and playing the same levels over and over. The first time around you don’t pick the fruit from the tree and you go on but fail. The second time you pick the fruit and can trade it for information with a villager. Turton has done an exceptionally clever job piecing this together so that the reader has no idea what is going on just like our narrator, but as he learns, we learn and it allows us to start piecing together our own theories and suspect lists.

The benefits of knowing how much longer there is in this book is you are almost giddy with anticipation at what could possibly be left to happen. There is even a moment when you think it’s finally solved but there are 3 hours left on the audiobook and then all hell breaks loose again. It’s divine! I listened to this riveted to my seat, unable to do anything else much because I was captured by this story. I couldn’t even try and figure anything out until a moment before I was told I was wrong because of the beautiful chaos and complexities and intricacies that are seamlessly making up this story that here’s no time to do anything except listen dutifully in astonishment.

Turton makes use of every one of these 500 pages and right up until the final moment there is perfect pacing that is just the right speed and intensity that the scene or the character needed. You could feel what these characters felt, you understood who they were. The ongoing stress and impact of these loops is shown believably and cleverly within the novel in a way that affects the story, it can’t even just be an inconsequential act, Turton makes sure every act that is taken has meaning and an affect somewhere within this house and for its occupants.

I basically stopped doing anything so I could focus on this story, I listened with intensity for the final third of the book unable to stop listening such was the fascination I had developed. I have never read anything quite like this before, similar stories exist for sure, but what Turton has done, mixing these styles together is genius and unique and I loved every second of it. I genuinely cannot believe this is a debut novel and I certainly wait with anticipation what Turton will come up with next.

You can purchase The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository | Audible

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Wordery

Angus & Robertson | Dymocks

Fishpond | QBD