children’s picture book | Lost in a Good Book

It’s a Long Way to the Shop by Heidi McKinnon

04 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: #aww2019, aussie books, australian women writers challenge, aww 19, aww 2019, children's picture book, four stars, heidi mckinnon

Published: 1st November 2018
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

They cant run, swim, fly or jump… so how will these two little rocks get to the shop?

Find out in this hilarious tale of adventure and persistence, to reach a snack thats totally worth it.

There’s so much to love about this book. Not only are the two characters simply called Rock, but they are optimistic, hilarious, and practical.

McKinnon uses dialogue for the entire story but instead of using quotations and padding it out, she uses differentiating colours to show who is speaking. Pink rock and green rock work out the issues they have in trying to get to the shop and seeing their deliberations is an absolute delight. Pink rock is definitely the more optimistic, while green is the practical one of the two, but even so they manage to climb and float and fly their way to the shop.

There are puns and the simple humour is divine. McKinnon uses a washed out tone for the backgrounds but sticks with the green, grey colouring which makes the bright pink and green of the two rocks stand out.

I love the ending of this because it was exactly what I wanted and I had an absolute blast getting there. What is even better though is McKinnon takes it one extra step further and it becomes even more hilarious.

You can purchase It’s A Long Way to the Shop via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Amazon Aust

Blossom Possum by Gina Newton

20 Sep 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: #aww2019, australian women writers challenge, aww 19, aww 2019, children's picture book, four stars, gina newton, kilmeny niland

Published: March 2007
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Illustrator: Kilmeny Niland
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Early one morning, Blossom Possum gets such a fright she thinks the sky is falling down! She has to tell someone, so she sets off with her news. On the way she meets her bush mates. But she also runs into trouble. This retelling of a favourite folktale has a delightful Aussie twist and a refreshingly positive ending.

I found this for a storytime at work and was actually genuinely in love with this by the end. I was curious how the story of Chicken Little would go being adapted for Australian context but Newton did a great job.

There is great pacing and the use of repetition is great as you fall into a natural rhythm as the story progresses. The story is filled with fun characters with great tongue twisters and rhymes for characters like Rocky Cocky and Toey Joey. It works well for most of them, some are a slight stretch but are in the spirit of the fun tone of the story. With the repetition the kids know what to expect and each page is left hanging as to who Blossom will find next which allows anticipation and gives them a chance to guess who will be on the next page.

There are some familiar Aussie phrases like beyond the black stump and round the back of beyond and it was the little details that made me smile. It wasn’t a giant flashing banner that tried to be Too Australian because that is cringey and it is tiring to read, but the inclusion of the Australian landscape and wildlife was nice.

There is a shift towards the end where it becomes a bit more perilous and a minor threat of being eaten, but the animals all escape with a small bit of animal violence and a boxing of the ears. I wasn’t expecting this and it alters the story a bit as it changes direction. Newton brings is full circle though in the best way and it makes for a delightful surprise ending.

The illustrations are both adorable and admittedly strange but I enjoyed how Niland has portrayed the Australian animals and has incorporated their environment in beautiful scenery. She also matches the illustrations to the mood: when there is danger the scene becomes black and when all is well there are stunning landscapes the animals traipse across.

There are surprises and it’s a cute story that brings the well-known story to a new audience with a wonderful Australian twist. It’s funny and a delightful tale that I really enjoyed.

You can purchase Blossom Possum via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Franny’s Father is a Feminist by Rhonda Leet

13 Sep 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, four stars, megan walker, rhonda leet

Published: 28th February 2018
Publisher: POW!
Illustrator: Megan Walker
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Star

Franny’s Father is a Feminist. It’s simple, really! He knows that girls can do anything boys can do, and raises Franny to believe that she deserves all the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities to fulfill her dreams that he had. Through sweet, straight-forward prose, Franny’s Father portrays the loving bond between a young girl, and her father who isn’t afraid of bucking gender norms in order to ensure that his daughter grows up smart, strong, and full of self confidence. From teaching her to fix her own bicycle and splashing in the mud, to cheering at ballet recitals and supporting Franny’s mother in her career, Franny’s Father displays what it means for a man to be a Feminist, and how male Feminism can play a vital role in the empowerment of young women.

The narrative is simple and the sentences are short and to the point. There is an educational style in the writing but it still flows like a story. Leet manages to directly explain what feminism is as well as showing it in everyday circumstances. Franny’s father cries openly and unashamedly, he helps Franny with anything she wants to do whether that is ballet or playing with tools, and he is all about empowering her.

It’s a wonderful move that more picture books are having these kinds of messages and I love that Leet is so obvious about it. She breaks down what being a feminist means and the fact she uses Franny’s dad, a man illustrated to be a big, burly, bearded man who some might think can be nothing but “manly” and “masculine” is even better.

This story breaks down the notion that there are boy jobs and girl jobs, girl interests and boy interests. It also promotes equality in housework and reminds kids that there’s nothing stopping them from being anything they want when they grow up. Leet uses storytime to educate the reader as well as Franny about real life feminie heroes from history and show the importance representation has on Franny and her friends.

This is an excellent book that everyone should read because while it is simple and uncomplicated, I think that is a great starting point in taking away the fear some people have of the F word and help them understand what it actually means.

You can purchase Franny’s Father is a Feminist via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

When the Library Lights Go Out by Megan McDonald

06 Sep 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 2 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, katherine tillotson, megan mcdonald, two stars

Published: 1st October 2005
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Illustrator: Katherine Tillotson
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ – 2 Stars

CLOSED may mean “closed” to you. But for three story-hour puppets, CLOSED means “open for adventure.”

At first there are only Rabbit and Lion. Hermit Crab is missing. Where can she be in the library darkness?

Find out for yourself when – magically – only puppets are up and about.

From the cover it had the promise of a cute little adventure in the library after hours and while there is a semblance of adventure, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. First of all, it’s a long book. Not overly wordy on each page but it is a long story. This is perpetuated by the fact that it’s a while before anything happens.

I found I couldn’t engage with the story of Rabbit and Lion looking for their friend. It was either meant to be adventurous or have the emotional pull of finding a lost friend which I could see on the surface but nothing deeper. The ending obviously is meant to be heartfelt and maybe even magical in its own way but I didn’t care that much.

What the story lacks is made up for in the illustrations. They are well done and I got the feeling of the library and the toys’ place within it, and I liked the depiction of the toys, their scruffy style makes them look like the much loved scruffy toys they are meant to be. Tillotson has made a great visual representation of the story with lots of strong colours, dark shadows and wonderful techniques to capture the night environment.

It was sweet at the end but overall uneventful. I think this could have been a better story if it was a bit different but the current story failed to capture my attention.

You can purchase When the Library Lights Go Out via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman

30 Aug 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, four stars, laura cornell, leslea newman, lgbt

Published: 11th March 2015
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Illustrator: Laura Cornell
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Heather’s favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, and two pets. And she also has two mommies. When Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. Then something interesting happens. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same. It doesn’t matter who makes up a family, the teacher says, because “the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love one another.”

This is the book. The book that everyone talks about, mainly because in 1989 when it was published it was one of the only books of its kind and no doubt was a smidge controversial. Thankfully there are a lot more out now and we have a little variety. My copy calls it a modern classic which it probably is, but I’m glad there are a lot more variations out there now.

The story isn’t actually focused on Heather’s two mummies, instead Heather is the main theme as we learn all about her. Newman tells us about how Heather’s favourite number is two and all the two things she has and does. It just so happens one of those twos is two mummies. As a whole it is also a great book about the different families there are: single parent, grandparents, step parents, same-sex parents.

The story doesn’t focus on how Heather copes with her two mummies, or the “controversy” of having two mummies. It is a perfectly sweet story that only happens to have two mummies in it. It is a wonderful book about being loved, new adventures, and the wonderful diversity of all family.

The illustrations are painted pictures with lots of colour by Cornell. There are full and double page pictures with lots of detail to keep little eyes busy. Cornell’s style is clear but also a lovely style of painted figures and backgrounds with no solid edges. The variety of colours is admirable and it highlights her great skillset. The text is simple and there is a rhythm but no rhyme, and Cornell illustrates Newman’s words with realism but with her own interpretation as well.

I was surprised because I had only heard mention of this book, but having found a copy I am glad to say I have read it. As I say, I am glad there are so many more out there now to read, but this one hasn’t aged and certainly isn’t dated. At its core it is about Heather and it is about family, something that never changes.

You can purchase Heather Has Two Mommies via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust