Booking in February

‘Brand New’ Leo Timmers Picture Book

Leo Timmers is still my favourite international illustrator. His work is radiantly colourful, whimsically comical and endlessly engaging. He has a great presence on social media, often sharing photos of his work processes and development. I anticipate his new releases so much, in fact more than any other books, because it takes so long to get them in English. Originally released early last year as Waar is de draak?, Gecko Press has finally released the translated version, Where is the Dragon?, and on their website, there is a fascinating article explaining the translation process and the work James Brown did to make this book a success in English.

The colours in this book are much darker than any of Leo’s previous works, and that is because it is set at night and the shadows and darkness are essential to the plot of the story. Three brave knights journey out to find the dragon that is scaring the king. Carrying weapons and a candle, they search the shadows. The reader gets to see the silhouettes of what might be a dragon, and then we find out that what looked like teeth or a tail was in fact something else much less scary.

This one is ideal for preschoolers, and will take a few reads for you to notice all the little details on each page. An extremely giftable book, this should be on everyone’s TBR list.

Picture Books

Meesha Makes Friends, Perfectly Norman and Ruby’s Worry, by Tom Percival – I have seen these books recommended lots of times, but they never made it onto my TBR list. I’m sorry I waited so long to get them from the library, they are fantastically conceived, designed, illustrated and written. The concept behind this series (there is a fourth called Ravi’s Roar) is presumably to use a story to show children how feelings can impact our lives. Meesha is shy, possibly slightly autistic and not able to make friendship connections, Norman is so fearful of being himself that he tries to cover up who he really is, and Ruby does the worst thing you can do with a worry, she worries about it.

The interesting and intentional use of black and white and colour throughout the books helps readers understand the story even more. We are told where to focus and that helps us connect with the characters. These are ideal for preschoolers, but I also know a few primary school children who will greatly benefit from the easy discussions these books could open up.

Ninja Red Riding Hood, by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Dan Santat – There are so many incarnations of fairy tales, some really successful and imaginative retellings and some not so much. This book falls into the former category; it has all the standard elements of the Little Red Riding Hood story, plus a fun ninja theme that makes it unpredictable. I also think the fun limerick style of writing and rhyming makes this so enjoyable to read aloud.

Dan Santat has (again) created dynamic and delightful illustrations that bring the characters, the setting and the story to life. Action and movement fill every page with no white space to be seen.

There’s Something Weird About Lena, by Sigi Cohen and James Foley – I was drawn to this book as at first glance I thought it looked like My Dead Bunny, which was such a fun experience to read with the kids. There’s Something Weird About Lena is by the same creators and has a similar comically spooky vibe. It’s so fun when authors and illustrators push the boundaries of what picture books have become. Though, if you look at some of the original stories for children they do contain some pretty dark and scary characters: witches who cook and eat children, wolves who gobble grandmothers, stepmothers who imprison and/or enslave stepdaughters. So perhaps this style of a book not so much a departure but a return.

After reading it to my kids, one said she had seen it before at school on Story Box Library, turns out it is read by Osher Gunsberg. So if you have a subscription or can access it through your local library, it might be a fun way to share this book.

Re-Reads

Re-reading high-quality picture books is such a joyful thing. Not only does my youngest get the benefit of great books, but I remember the times we read these books in the past and the impact they had on me and my other kids. Here are a few fantastic books that aren’t new releases but are definitely worth checking out.

The Airport Book, by Lisa Brown – We first read this years ago and I remember loving the illustrations and the little visual stories that unfold throughout the pages. This is a strikingly simple concept: the narrator essentially talks us through the experience of traveling to and through the airport from checking baggage to security to the flight. It just goes to show that even a very simple story can be made interesting and re-readable with great illustrations. This is a great one for families looking to take their first flight.

Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts – When we first read Ada Twist and the other books in the Questioneers series I was blown away. We just adored the strong rhyming story and David Roberts’ illustrations where so impressively fresh and refined. With a new addition to the series, Aaron Slater, Illustrator, due for release in November 2021 I thought it would be a great time to re-read some of the classics. My 4-year-old told me he didn’t remember reading this one before and he loved it, we’ve read it numerous times now.

I’m Australian Too, by Mem Fox and Ronojoy Ghosh – Even though I knew what was coming in this book, I still got teary reading this book with my kids. It is a poetic exploration of the people that make up our diverse, beautiful country, and it makes me feel so lucky, so inspired and so unified. Truly this needs to be in every school as it celebrates the backgrounds we each come from and helps us see how that makes us a stronger nation.

For any teachers of keen parents, here is a PDF with some discussion points and activities you might like to do when you read this book.