children’s picture book | Lost in a Good Book

The Great Garden Mystery by Renee Treml

05 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, renee treml, three stars

Published: 1st September 2014 by Random House Australia
Publisher: Random House Australia
Illustrator: Renee Treml
Pages: 32
Format: Paperback Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Someone is stealing the beetroots, who could that somebody be? Join us in the garden and we’ll unravel this mystery. A mix of clever Australian animals examine the clues, but can they catch the thief before he strikes again?

Filled with a great range of native Australian animals, as well as a few introduced ones, this story explores the great mystery that has come to the garden. The rabbit and the fox mingle with the koala and the possum over who has eaten all the beetroot. What I thought was creative was how Treml has made it entertaining as well as educational, each animal using their natural abilities or features as a means to exonerate themselves.

The story is told in rhyme, but not such intense rhyme that you sing it, it reads like a regular story with casual rhymes to finish off the page. Treml’s illustrations are vibrant on different coloured backgrounds with beautifully realistic sketches of the animals in and around the garden.

In the end I found it a bit harsh that the suspect is chosen because she ran away. This doesn’t get resolved so I’m hoping there is an unwritten sequel where the poor creature isn’t accused anymore, forced to flee her home at being accused of a crime she didn’t commit. The true culprit is revealed only to the reader and it does make for a cheeky ending I’ll admit.

You can purchase The Great Garden Mystery via the following

QBD

My Dead Bunny by Sigi Cohen

29 Mar 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 1 Star, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, james foley, one star, sigi cohen

Published: 1st October 2015
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Illustrator: James Foley
Pages: 32
Format: Paperback Picture Book
★ – 1 Star

“My dead bunny’s name is Brad;
his odour is extremely bad.
He visits me when I’m in bed,
but Bradley wasn’t always dead …”

A hilarious rhyming tale about a zombie bunny who comes back to visit his owner.

I hated myself for liking the end of the book. It does get funny at the end, but I kinda hated the rest of it. I could not fathom how and why this book had ever been allowed to be made because it is gross and creepy and weird. I don’t understand who would like this book and while I will admit to appreciating the rhyme, and the casual morbidity, I also read it as quickly as possibly because I didn’t want to look at the pictures or read the story for longer than necessary.

The story didn’t have a funny tone to it that could make light of anything that was happening, and certainly the dark black pages and eerie green colours didn’t help in the slightest. You certainly wouldn’t read it to a child who had actually lost their rabbit because who would want to deal with those nightmares? But maybe, knowing how kids love the gross and creepy stuff it might have appeal to some of them…I guess.

I just can’t stop being perplexed by this book. Why does it exist and why would any one write this, or publish it? I know many people enjoy this, and maybe you need the right tone or humour injected into reading it, but I couldn’t muster up that humour because my own confusion about its existence blocked everything else.

I picked it up because I needed to know what it was about, but my goodness, I have no desire to pick it up again.

You can purchase My Dead Bunny via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Angus and Robinson | Dymocks | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon Aust | Amazon

Naughty Kitty by Adam Stower

22 Mar 2019 2 Comments

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: adam stower, children's picture book, five stars

Published: 1st July 2012
Publisher: Templar Books
Illustrator: Adam Stower
Pages: 33
Format: Paperback Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Star

Lily’s mum finally agrees to buy her a new pet – but it’s not a doggy, it’s a kitten. When things start to go wrong around the house, Lily is quick to blame her new furry friend.

One. Kitty is the cutest kitten ever. Stower’s illustrations are the best. I love how he has managed to convey a confused kitty, a perplexed kitty, and a kitty looking innocent in the face of accusation.

Two. The actual story is wonderful as well. Reading this story is fun on numerous levels, not only are the pictures fun to look at, but each page gives us a chance to see what “Kitty” actually did, and seeing poor Lily become exasperated at her poor disobedient cat is delightful.

Genuinely I could stare at the illustrations all day. Combined with Lily’s desire to punish her kitten, the cat itself looks bewildered and the true culprit lurking adds to the humour and certainly my delight.

Stower’s captured the tone and voice of a small child and I could hear Lily’s voice as she scolded her kitten and I pictured this child berating her cat as she tried to stop its destructive behaviours. The story is adorable, especially when the dramatic irony comes into play. Who doesn’t love it when picture books contain dramatic irony?

This would be a great book to read aloud because with such wonderful and detailed illustrations, there is a lot to unpack as you read and it becomes interactive as kids see who really caused the messes.

I discovered this is a sequel when I’d finished, I may have to track down the first one because if it’s anything as good as this, I’ll be quite happy.

You can purchase Naughty Kitty via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

Angus and Robinson | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon

It’s A Book by Lane Smith

15 Mar 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, four stars, lane smith

Published: 10th August 2010
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Paperback Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Star

A delightful and original work in the midst of the ongoing debate of print versus digital through humorous and silly questions from an IT-savvy donkey and a book lover monkey’s simple answers, the monkey sees the value of a printed book. Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, It’s a Book is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.

While I’m not always the biggest fan of talking to kids and young people about books like they’ve never seen one in their life, this is a cute little book for kids that simply tells them what a book is. With Mouse and Monkey’s help, Jackass – yes, that’s his name – learns what a book is. It’s actually quite clever at the end with something for the adult mind to enjoy.

Smith’s illustrations are unique in design, I loved the size difference between Monkey and Jackass. The colour tones are subdued but not bland, and the lack of complicate backgrounds leaves you to focus on the pair sitting in their chairs.

There are few words and it’s a dialogue type of story, but even with so few words Smith manages to tell a great story about the magic of a book and how it differs from technology.

This could be a good book if you have got a kid who is learning to read and discovering books for themselves or is used to only using digital mediums, either way it was clever.

You can purchase It’s A Book via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Angus and Robinson | Wordery | Dymocks

Fishpond | Amazon

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen

08 Mar 2019 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, five stars, jon klassen, the hat trilogy

Published: 11th October 2016
Publisher: Candlewick
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Pages: 56
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat. . . . Evoking hilarity and sympathy, the shifting eyes tell the tale in this brilliantly paced story in three parts, highlighting Jon Klassen’s visual comedy and deceptive simplicity. The delicious buildup takes an unexpected turn that is sure to please loyal fans and newcomers alike.

This is such a sweet book! And nobody dies! Not that that should stop you from opening the book. It is fantastic in all the other ways.

This is the final book in the delightful hat trilogy and Klassen is as strong as ever. From bears and hats, to fish and hats, we’ve come to turtles and hats.

In a different approach there are multiple parts to this story. I was curious about this change in formula but it works so well. There is a wonderful message about friendship, but also the same cheeky, slyness that Klassen works so well into his story. There is drama and suspense, but there is also heart. I loved the message and I loved that it remains a hat story even though it differed slightly.

At its core it is a book about sharing, greed, and friendship and with a lot less murder than before.

Once again, Klassen puts all the expression in the eyes. So much is said in a pair of unblinking eyes, a shift to the left, a shift to the right. It’s brilliant. I have come to love his illustration style and I am so glad there are three books in this series because one was never going to be enough.

You can purchase We Found A Hat via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust