Little Readers Reviews

Hi there it's Bounce and Flip reviewing some recent arrivals to our shelves.

Box by Min Flyte and Rosalind Beardshaw

I like how this book comes with your own box to make. My favourite page is the one with the never ending box. The pictures are filled with boxes and I really like the train and reading out what the pages say. 'Hey mum shall we get lots of boxes and make a real life of this book?'

Mama adds - a simple read with the lift-the-flap joy which appeals so much to younger readers. A perfect book for exploring independently 4+ and reading together for young readers.
Details - Nosy Crow 2015, RRP $19.99 HB

Ten Blue Wrens by Eliazbeth Honey

I like the how the pictures for all the numbers are on the inside covers too. I like number 4 because it has cats, and a bird and it goes up to four houses. I could read this book on my own, 5+ can read it on their own, and 2+ can listen to it.

Mama adds - a truly Australian counting book with AFL, pies and wrens. The book is written in a pleasant rhyme scheme that reads aloud well. The imprint details also include information how the illustrations (which are in the style of printing/stamping) are made. A lovely read for 3-5 year olds and a nice independent read for an emerging reader.
Details - Allen & Unwin September 2015, RRP $9.99

The Boy, the Bear, the Baron and the Bard by Gregory Rogers

I like how the boy runs into the art gallery without the bullies running after him and there are still pictures of the bear hiding in a picture in the art gallery. The pictures are really cool. There are 3 different stories in the book but some of the characters cross over. This book would be enjoyed by 4+

Mama adds - this is a fully illustrated, no text, book that tells a story in a comic book style with boxes. (A la The Snowman by Raymond Briggs). There is a lot of movement in the style and plenty of narrative to keep the reader engaged. I can see this being enjoyed across a wide age range.
Details - Allen & Unwin September 2015, RRP $29.99

Freddy Tangles - Champ or Chicken by Jack Brand

This book is about Freddy versus a boy called Hugo. I liked the part where he falls out of the tree naked because he lands on the bull and thinks it can take him all the way home, when it can only stay in one place. My favourite character is Freddy. He is cool because he is very funny and irritating too.
Anyone from 5+ would enjoy being read this book and about 7+ for children to read on their own. The illustrations are cool and the ants are really funny too.

Mama adds - we read these books aloud and the boys really enjoyed them and laughed aloud. Plenty of gross school yard humour here. These are the kind of books that I think would be great for the classroom library. The mix of text and illustration breaks up the words for less confident readers who still want to read 'big' books.
Details - Allen & Unwin September 2015, RRP $9.99

Freddy Tangles - Legend or Loser  by Jack Brand

Another hilarious tale but this one is am amazing piece of writing because of the way it dealt with the issue and emotions of bullying. I would definitely use this as a read aloud in a classroom context despite the fact that the word fart is used like a million times! A fantastic, thought provoking and clever read.

Details - Allen & Unwin September 2015, RRP $9.99

love you more than a voice too tired to read anymore xxx

Yeah I Made It 42/52... Necklaces with the CWA

'sup lovely ladies,

Ages ago I learnt to make these lovely necklaces at The Make cafe.

So last week I paid it forward and taught the ladies of the CWA how to make them too - we had a lovely evening making together.

Some lovely necklaces in here.

Here are all the ones we made on the night:

and these are the 3 'demo' ones I made:

The little lighthouse is a scan of a stitchery I did for a story I wrote. I must show you those pictures one day too! The other two are Christmas card images from the Oxfam catalogue.

What crafts are you revisiting lately?

love you more than a tiny nativity xxx

forty one

these boys

loving the cockle train in Middleton

loving Daddy and Grandad's faces peaking through

love you more than the clatter of a train on the tracks xxx

The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan

Hiya folks,

I first discovered Shaun Tan's work with The Red Tree when I was teaching in London. His artworks have a sort of mesmerising quality and he tells dreamlike stories with very powerful messages.

Before I received this book I was unaware that Tan is an Australian author/illustrator!

The Singing Bones book is actually a collection of photographs of sculptures he created to go with a collection of fifty of Grimm's tales by Philip Pullman.

This book includes 75 images accompanied by short excerpts of the tales they are from. The excerpts are written by Jack Zipes. If you are unfamiliar with the actual tales of Grimm they are much darker than the 'fairytales' we currently tell or many of us are familiar with.

Clearly the Grimms were prolific collectors of stories and there were many tales in here that I hadn't come across (even though I did do a paper that covered their tales at uni).

Of course it is Tan's work that I was most excited about seeing. His sculptures have the same dream like quality as his illustrations and each one is a true work of art. They are truly evocative and this book would be a beautiful coffee table book. Like the tales some of the images are dark and somewhat haunting. I would definitely see this as a book for older readers as well as adults.

It would also be a beautiful jumping off point for looking at sculpture as an art form.
Details - Allen and Unwin, October 2015 RRP $35.00 HB

I know I'll be enjoying this book over and over.

love you more than a perfect scrap of miniature wonder xxx

The Secret Son

history lovers hello,

The Secret Son by Jenny Ackland is a story told in Turkey and Australia from current and world war one eras.

The novel is Ackland's debut and it is beautifully done. It follows Cem who is both breaking free of his family and tracing his Turkish roots and it follows James an Australian left behind after the retreat from Gallipoli and befriended by a young Turkish soldier.

Both have pasts that they are unaware of and both land in the same small village. A hundred years apart their stories are woven together and connected in strange ways.

I loved this novel. It is one of those stories that seems to take you gently by the hand and lead you in but it doesn't stay gentle with you. The characters are well realised and it's one of those stories where afterwards you'd like further novels written from different characters perspectives.

There are times that I need a family tree or neighbourhood overview or cast of characters while I'm reading and I could say that for this book, although it needs to be left out for reasons of narrative in this story.

An excellent read for anyone who likes books with historical links and strong storylines.

Details - Allen &Unwin Spetember 2015, RRP $29.99

love you more than not wanting to finish reading a book xxx

Yeah I Made It 41/52... A Dress from Bounce New Look 6962

Summer's a coming here and cool dresses are all I'll be in for the next few months. (I'll also spend a lot of time complaining about being too hot - but luckily for you you don't have to hear that).

Bounce won a spotlight voucher recently for going in for their birthday celebrations dressed up. The invite to do this was on their handout but he was the only one - he would have been the most adorable either way, obviously! - just goes to show sometimes making a small effort pays off.

Thank you spotlight $50 for Bounce, and he let me buy this piece of fabric along with the various collection of Christmas decorations and other things that appeal to a 6 year old who has a thing for glitter and soft toys.

This pattern New Look 6962 is one of the very first patterns I ever bought when I first started sewing for myself, about 15 years ago. It's super simple it has 2 darts and it's self faced. Three pattern pieces and a short morning with the machine and I have a new dress.

Sorry about the bra exposure at the back - The Atlas took the photos and he didn't notice.

I love the colours and it looks so perfect against the wisteria. Now I just need to carry around a archway of wisteria wherever I walk!

Wearing:
Dress - New Look 6962
fabric $10m (I bought 2m)
Shoes - Crown Vintage brand bought at an op-shop in Melbourne for $15
Sunnies - Reject Shop $5
Bracelet - second hand/ vintage shop
Hair Clip - made by HollyB
Bag - Part of a prize I won

love you more than Spring wisteria xxx

forty of fifty two

Collected the big (very tired) boy from camp.

A beautiful, needed weekend away in Middleton.

Grandad accompanied us too.

Watching the waves directly from the windows and The Atlas got to surf every day - special times.

One evening as dusk fell we exploring the rock pools.

love you more than a pool full of star fish xxx