Reviews: Three NZ Picture Books

Here is a selection of three New Zealand picture books especially for my kiwi readers...

'Hill & Hole' by Kyle Mewburn and Vasanti Unka

This is a delightfully simple story which tells of two friends, Hill and Hole, who decide one day they would like to swap places and live like the other for a while. With the help of some other friends their wish comes true and they begin to see the world in a whole new way! Effectively illustrated with a surprising twist at the end of the story.

'The Moon and Farmer McPhee' by Margaret Mahy and David Elliot

This story tells of a grumpy farmer who wants his animals to be quiet at night..but the moon is up and they are dancing away and creating a great hullaballoo in its silvery light! In anger he whisks them away to the barn and orders them to go to sleep so that he can have a peaceful night's rest...however he is taken aback by the surprise that awaits him outside the barn doors. A beautifully illustrated picture book that children will want to have read to them time and time again.

'Alf Red's Broccoli Rocket' by Simon Clearwater and Andrew Dopheide

This picture book tells the lyrical story of Alf who decides to design himself a rocket out of old food and string. Showing off that 'kiwi ingenuity', his work is a true masterpiece. He hides his latest invention from prying eyes and tempted tummies only to be discovered by his brother Ted who decides in the middle of the night to give it a test flight to the moon. Awaking to find both his rocket and his brother are missing, Alf plans a rescue mission to the moon in the hope of saving Ted. The tale of the boys' adventure is told throughout the book in rhyme and children will love the illustrations and may even be dared to become inventors themselves one day.

Reviews: Three Novels About Three Likeable Orphans (No Annoying Annies!)

Here are three reviews of three children's novels I have read recently. Before reading these I didn't realise that there were so many children's stories written with orphans as central characters! I really enjoyed all three for different reasons. They are all written in different settings; one set in England in the 1980s, one set in a made-up Eastern-European city and one in a magical 'other-world'. They all vary in lengths from 100-400 pages. One is a straight-forward story, one is written like a fairy-tale and the third is part of a detailed and dark, magical trilogy. All three come highly recommended by me and I must admit that all three are written extremely well!



'The Children of the Lost' by David Whitley

I am not normally into these type of 'other-worldly' books but must say I have been captured by Whitley's style of writing. His ability to create imaginary worlds out of words with the degree of clarity, tension and suspense that he did, had me spell-bound from the first page until the end. I am doubly impressed that the writer is only 26 years old and he must be commended for this well-written book.

Without spoiling too much of the plot this second instalment of the Agora trilogy sees the two main characters, Lily (an orphaned girl) and Mark (her best friend) banished from the ancient city of Agora. Upon their journey they come across the village of Aecer which in all respects is different from Agora. Aecer is run along communal lines where all is shared and decisions are made collectively for the good of the village, a vast difference from the capitalist-oriented city of Agora where everything has its price and everything is determined by individualised contract. Lily is awed by the fact the village functions in an almost utopian way, something that she has always hoped for for her beloved Agora. Mark however has his reservations, and over time he is greeted with much suspicion by a large portion of the villagers. Over time they both begin to unravel the mysteries within and surrounding this village and realise that not everything is all that Lily had first thought.

I have not read the first instalment of the trilogy and I don't think that you need to to 'get into' this one. I am now going to purchase it myself, read it and eagerly await the final instalment due out later in 2011. A highly recommended novel.

'The Magician's Elephant' by Kate DiCamillo

This story follows the plight of an orphaned boy named Peter. From an early age he was told that his baby sister died at birth but when he meets a fortune-teller and then has a vivid dream, Peter is suddenly infused with the belief that his sister is actually alive. The strange events that follow in the book are about Peter trying to find his sister. Along his journey he meets a number of different characters who, like him, are in the midst of dealing with varying circumstances in their lives. Peter has an awesome sense of purpose, hope and belief which in turn persuades those he meets to help him out on his journey. All those he meets are lifted by Peter's spirit of 'believing in the impossible' and in turn realise that 'all things are possible' in the midst of their own hopelessness and despair. Peter's journey becomes their journey and more than anything, I believe it can become the reader's journey too.

I have taken the advice of another reviewer and read it as a piece of theatre written in prose. This advice has helped me work through the seemingly strange turns of phrases and repetition in the book. It can be read in less than two hours and like a play, I would encourage you to read it in one full sitting to digest all that this book offers. A highly recommended story.

'Long Way Home' by Michael Morpurgo

This children's novel is about an orphaned boy called George who has gone from foster home to foster home only to be moved on to the Dyer family during the next batch of school holidays. The relationship between George and the family starts off a bit rocky, as George is used to caregivers being offhand and unloving. As the story progresses, the relationships George develops with each family member grows and blossoms. This closeness is threatened toward the end of the story which not only impacts upon George but the family unit as a whole. A great novel for children with a main character (George) who all readers will warm to! Highly recommended!