Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack

11 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, LGBTQIA, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 1st May 2018 Goodreads badge
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Illustrator: Stevie Lewis
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

In this modern fairy tale, a noble prince and a brave knight come together to defeat a terrible monster and in the process find true love in a most unexpected place.

“Thank you,” he told his parents. “I appreciate that you tried, but I’m looking for something special in a partner by my side.”

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far from here, there was a prince in line to take the throne, so his parents set out to find him a kind and worthy bride. The three of them travelled the land far and wide, but the prince didn’t quite find what he was looking for in the princesses they met.

I love this book so much.

The story follows the same fairy tale style as you’d expect but the prince doesn’t want to choose from his line-up of princess suitors – he wants a suitor of a different kind. I love this because it maintains the fairy tale structure without diverting or changing it and instead it substitutes one character for another with no consequences.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. I cannot stress enough how beautiful Lewis’ illustrations are. They are colourful and full of depth and a few of them I even wanted to hang on my wall they were so wonderful.

This is a fabulous story and one I’m glad exists. It has all the classic fairy tale elements like a prince looking to marry, dragons, kingdoms in peril, everything you need but with some more diversity and representation.

You can purchase Prince & Knight via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Wordery | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart

04 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, LGBTQIA, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , ,

Published: 1st April 2021Goodreads badge
Publisher: Larrikin House
Illustrator: Scott Stuart
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

My Shadow is Pink is a beautifully written rhyming story that touches on the subjects of gender identity, self acceptance, equality and diversity.

Inspired by the author’s own little boy, ‘Shadow’s’ main character likes princesses, fairies and things ‘not for boys’… he soon learns (through the support of his dad) that everyone has a shadow that they sometimes feel they need to hide.

This is an important book for a new generation of children (and adults alike) which exemplifies the concepts of unconditional love, respect and positive parenting.

This story is a great example of defying gender norms and being your true self, also a great book showing examples of positive parenting and accepting friends. Stuart tells us that our shadows show us what’s inside, who we really are no matter what is presented to the world.

There is so much to love about this story. The fear of liking things “not for boys” is explored so well and there are so many different interpretations of what this could apply to. Stuart doesn’t specify but instead explores how whatever the reason, a pink shadow is ok and a boy with a pink shadow is not something to worry about.

The narrative is told through rhyme which has a lovely flow and it fits in and around the illustrations so you can compare and appreciate each one as you read. The themes are easy to understand for kids and the feelings of acceptance and loneliness in a new place like school are explored well and succinctly. I loved the dad a lot. His shadow is big and blue but at the same time he is anxious for his kid on their first day of school but doesn’t prohibit what they want to wear.

The illustrations are wonderful. I loved the colour contrast and the expression of the different shadows. Stuart shows how they can be their own individual self but connected to a person as well. The pink/blue scheme was an interesting choice given the theme, but as a base starting point it was clear Stuart was using well known and established gender colours to show young readers in the simplest manner about gender identity and defying gender norms.

This is a beautiful book that made me tear up at the end because from the start where there is so much uncertainty and worry, with the dad saying things are “just a phase” I was curious where the story was going. But seeing him come out and be supportive in so many different ways was amazing. It is a super adorable story that doesn’t have anything too complicated in it, the message is simple – people can be different on the inside to other people in a lot of different ways and there is nothing wrong with that.

You can purchase My Shadow is Pink via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

The Tiny King by Tarō Miura

21 May 2021 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , ,

Published: 8th October 2013Goodreads badge
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Illustrator: Tarō Miura
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Once upon a time there was a tiny king who lived in a big castle guarded by lots of big soldiers. Every day the tiny king eats dinner at his big table (he can never finish it all), rides on his big horse (he is thrown off every time), bathes in his big bath (not much fun), and sleeps, not very well, in his big bed. The tiny king is very sad and lonely, until one day he meets a big princess and asks her to be his queen.

I love the tiny king. The story is incredible sweet and from the cover to the story to the illustrations everything was wonderful. In a way the story gives off very adorable Alice in Wonderland vibes with a tiny king and a giant queen but without any of the marital problems.

Miura’s story is about a lonely king who finds companionship and creates a life filled with happiness and fun. It is super sweet and while it is delightful to see the tiny king live in his big world, it is more adorable to see his little life improve.

The illustrations are complete essentially to the charm. The tiny king in comparison to his large surroundings are fantastic and seeing him in his king bed but a fraction of the size, and his large horse and his large bath are fantastic. There are also tiny details in these illustrations that Miura has included that add a little more to the charm and delight.

There is a fantastic fairy tale element to the story and I loved the simplistic but heartfelt approach Miura has taken with this story.

You can purchase The Tiny King via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Green Lizards and Red Rectangles and the Blue Ball by Steve Antony

14 May 2021 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , ,

Published: 02 Mar 2021Goodreads badge
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Illustrator: Steve Antony
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

The green lizards and the red rectangles have finally learned to live in harmony together … but what happens when a blue ball appears from nowhere?

A timely story about celebrating diversity and learning to get along, told with style and simplicity.

Antony shows us the world is greater than red rectangles and green lizards with the arrival of a blue ball to the now peaceful society. The blue ball is an outsider to the harmonious society created by the red rectangles and green lizards and therefore is an enemy and must be banished. A literal wall is built to keep it out – once again raising questions about the red rectangles sentience – separating the blue ball from the others.

I love Antony’s use of colours because they are bright and bold, and solid so there is only red, green and blue to work with. Also making the objects and animals sentient they are “alive” and can tell a story and have a message without needing a complex world or storyline behind them.

Once again the illustrations help raise the story as the blue ball’s imposing size on the red rectangles and green lizards shows difference and fear of the unknown. Another strong point is there are no reasoning behind the prejudice. It isn’t mentioned that the ball’s size, shape or colour are what make it exiled, it’s just different so it must go. This simplifies the story to its main points and brings the message home that it isn’t one reason that the rectangles and lizards object to.

Like in the previous book, Antony shows us that it sometimes only takes a couple of individuals to make a stand and change things for the better – the loudest voices of hate can be drowned out by the majority of people standing up for what’s right. This is a great story about how different isn’t always bad and how growing and accepting can be beneficial for everyone.

You can purchase Green Lizards and Red Rectangles and the Blue Ball via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Green Lizards vs. Red Rectangles by Steve Antony

07 May 2021 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , ,

Published: 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Illustrator: Steve Anthony
Pages: 28
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

The Green Lizards wanted to defeat the Red Rectangles.

The Red Rectangles wanted to defeat the Green Lizards.

They were at war!

Who will win, the green lizards or the red rectangles?

I love the absolute absurd nonsense that this book contains. I love that there’s no explanation whatsoever, and I love that there’s chaos and a lack of logic everywhere you turn. The battle rages through the pages as the green lizards make ground but then on the next page the red rectangles surge forward. A few solo voices try to speak up but are silenced and the battle rages on.

Anthony never explains why the green lizards and the red rectangles are fighting, but the reasons why are irrelevant as the story is fantastic. The illustrations are great and add another level to the story because Anthony uses the whole page with bright, solid colours but also keeps it minimalistic, and seeing the various distinctions between the myriad of lizards was quite enjoyable.

You really can’t think about it too much because the sentience of the red rectangles raises a few questions but it is a funny and clever story about nonsense battles and how working together can be a lot more rewarding.

You can purchase Green Lizards vs Red Rectangles via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

 Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

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